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WAU-B U N 

THE EARLY DAY IN THE 
NORTHWEST 



^^^AAXj V^LvsXU* IojOlVJiAa. (.'^^^'^Xi') BY 

^ ^ ,MRvS. JOHN H. KINZIE 

OF CHICAGO. 

EDITED WITH NOTES AND INTRODUCTION 
BY 

Eleanor Kinzie Gordon. 



"If we but knew the exact meaning of the word ' Wau - bun,' 

we should be happy."— O'/Z/c. 

Wau-bun— The dawn— the break of day."— Cy/d^roaj/ Vocabulary. 




Chicago and New York: 
RAND, McNALLY & COMPANY, 

PUBLISHERS. 



cHii\:i 



F-4 



Copyright, 1901, by Eleanor Kinzie Gordon. 

By Transfer 
D. C. Public Library 
OCT 1 5 1934 






RECEIVED, 



MAY 151902 
Washingfton, D. C 



TO THE 

HON. LEWIS CASS, 

In the "Early Day" the Tried Friend op 

The Pioneer and the Red Man, 

THE FOLLOWING MEMORIALS 

are 

Respectfully Inscribed. 



PREFACE. 



Every work partaking of the nature of an autobiog- 
raphy is supposed to demand an apology to the public. 
To refuse such a tribute, would be to recognize the justice 
of the charge, so often brought against our countrymen — 
of a too great willingness to be made acquainted with the 
domestic history and private afifairs of their neighbors. 

It is, doubtless, to refute this calumny that we find 
travellers, for the most part, modestly offering some such 
form of explanation as this, to the reader : " That the 
matter laid before him was, in the first place, simply 
letters to friends, never designed to be submitted to other 
eyes, and only brought forward now at the solicitation of 
wiser judges than the author himself." 

No such plea can, in the present instance, be offered. 
The record of events in which the writer had herself no 
share, was preserved in compliance with the suggestion 
of a revered relative, whose name often appears in the fol- 
lowing pages. " My child," she would say, " write these 
things down, as I tell them to you. Hereafter our chil- 
dren, and even strangers, will feel interested in hearing 
the story of our early lives and sufferings." And it is a 

1* (v) 



vi PREFACE. 

matter of no small regret and self-reproach, that much, 
very much, thus narrated was, through negligence, or a 
spirit of procrastination, suffered to pass unrecorded. 

With regard to the pictures of domestic life and expe- 
rience (preserved, as will be seen, in journals, letters, and 
otherwise), it is true their publication might have been 
deferred until the writer had passed away from the scene 
of action; and such, it was supposed, would have been 
their lot — that they would only have been dragged forth 
hereafter, to show to a succeeding generation what " The 
Early Day" of our Western homes had been. It never 
entered the anticipations of the most sanguine that the 
march of improvement and prosperity would, in less than 
a quarter of a century, have so obliterated the traces of 
" the first beginning," that a vast and intelligent multitude 
would be crying out for information in regard to the early 
settlement of this portion of our country, which so few are 
left to furnish. 

An opinion has been expressed, that a comparison of 
the present times with those that are past, would enable 
our young people, emigrating from their luxurious homes 
at " the East," to bear, in a spirit of patience and content- 
ment, the slight privations and hardships they are at this 
day called to meet with. If, in one instance, this should 
be the case, the writer may well feel happy to have in- 
curred even the charge of egotism, in giving thus much 
of her own history. 

It may be objected that all that is strictly personal, 
might have been more modestly put forth under the name 



PREFACE. vii 

of a third person ; or that the events themselves and the 
scenes might have been described, while those partici- 
pating in them might have been kept more in the back- 
ground. In the first case, the narrative would have lost 
its air of truth and reality — in the second, the experiment 
would merely have been tried of dressing up a theatre for 
representation, and omitting the actors. 

Some who read the following sketches may be inclined 
to believe that a residence among our native brethren and 
an attachment growing out of our peculiar relation to them, 
have exaggerated our sympathies, and our sense of the 
wrongs they have received at the hands of the whites. 
This is not the place to discuss that point. There is a 
tribunal at which man shall be judged for that which he 
has meted out to his fellow-man. 

May our countrymen take heed that their legislation 
shall never unfit them to appear " with joy, and not with 
grief," before that tribunal I 

Chicago, July, 1865. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAOB 

Departure from Detroit 16 

CHAPTER II. 
Miohilimackinac — American Fur Company — Indian Trad»— Mission 
School — Point St. Ignace 19 

CHAPTER III. 
Arrival at Green Bay — Mrs, Arnot — General Root — Political Dis- 
patches — A Summerset — Shanty-Town — M. Rolette — Indian 
Morning Song — Mr. Cadle's Mission — Party at Mrs. Doty's — Misses 
Grignon — Mrs. Baird's Party — Mrs. Beall 27 

CHAPTER IV. 

Arrangements for Travelling — Fox River — Judge Doty — Judge 
Reaume — M. Boilvin — Canadian Voyageurs : their Songs — The 
Kakalin — Wish-tay-yun — Rev. Eleazar Williams — Passage through 
the Rapids — Grande Chdte — Krissman 37 

CHAPTER V. 

Beautiful Encampment — Winnebago Lake — Miss Four-Legs — Garlic 
Island— Wild Rice 61 

CHAPTER VL 
Breakfast at Betty Moore's — Judge Law — Fastidiousness; what 
came of it 68 

CHAPTER VIL 
Butte des Morts — French Cognomens — Serpentine Course of Fox 
River — Lake Puckaway — Lac de Boeuf — Fort Winnebago . . 62 

(ix) 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

PAGX 

Major and Mrs. Twiggs — A Davis — An Indian Funeral — Conjugal 
Affliction — Indian Chiefs; Talk-English — The Wild-Cat — The 
Dandy 68 

CHAPTER IX. 
Housekeeping — The First Dinner 77 

CHAPTER X. 
Indian Payment — Pawnee Blanc — The Washington Woman — Rais- 
ing Funds 80 

CHAPTER XL 
Louisa — Garrison Life — Dr. Newhall — Afliiction — Domestic Accom- 
modations — Ephraim — New-Year's Day — Native Custom — Day- 
kau-ray's Views of Education — Captain Harney's Mince-Pie . 88 

CHAPTER XIL 
Lizzie Twiggs — Preparation for a Journey — The Regimental Tailor . 98 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Departure from Fort Winnebago — Duck Creek — Upset in a Canoe — 
Pillon — Encamping in Winter — Four Lakes — Indian Encampment 
— Blue Mound — Morrison's — A Tennessee Woman .... 103 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Rev. Mr. Kent — Losing One's Way — A Tent Blown Down — Discovery 
of a Fence — Hamilton's Diggings — Frontier Housekeeping — Wm. 
S. Hamilton— A Miner — Hard Riding— Kellogg's Grove . . 113 

CHAPTER XV. 
Rock River — Dixon's — John Ogie — Missing the Trail — Hours of 
Trouble — Famine in the Camp — Relief 124 

CHAPTER XVL 
A Pottowattamie Lodge— A Tempest— Pich6's — Hawley's — The Du 
Page — Mr. Dogherty — The Aux Plaines — Mrs. Lawton — Wolf 
Point— Chicago 136 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Fort Dearborn— Chicago in 1831— First Settlement of Chicago— John 
Kinzie, Sen.— Fate of George Forsyth— Trading Posts— Canadian 
Voyageurs — M. St. Jean — Louis la Liberie 144 



CONTENTS. xi 

CHAPTER XVIII. 



Massacre at Chicago 



PAQB 

159 



195 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Massacre, continued— Mrs. Helm— Ensign Ronan— Captain Wells- 
Mrs. Holt— Mrs. Heald— The Sau-ga-nash — Sergeant Griffith- 
Mrs. Burns— Black Partridge and Mrs.Lee— Nau-non-gee and Ser- 
geant Hays 

CHAPTER XX. 

Treatment of American Prisoners by the British— Captivity of Mr. 
Kinzie— Battle on Lake Erie- Cruelty of General Proctor's Troops 
—General Harrison— Rebuilding of Fort Dearborn— Red Bird— 
A Humorous Incident— Cession of the Territory around Chicago . 

CHAPTER XXI. 
Severe Spring Weather— Pistol-Firing— Milk Punch— A Sermon- 
Pre-emption to " Kinzie's Addition"— Liberal Sentiments . . 204 

CHAPTER XXIL 
The Captives 209 

CHAPTER XXIII. 
Colonel McKillip— Second-Sight— Ball at Hickory Creek— Arrival 
of the " Napoleon"— Troubles of Embarkation . . . .226 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Departure for Fort Winnebago— A Frightened Indian— Encamp- 
ment at Dunkley's Grove— Horses Lost— Getting Mired— An Ague 
cured by a Rattlesnake— Crystal Lake— Story of the Little Rail . 



235 



CHAPTER XXV. 

Return Journey, continued— Soldiers' Encampment— Big-Foot Lake 
—Village of Maunk-suck— A Young Gallant— Climbing— Moun- 
tain-Passes— Turtle Creek— Kosh-ko-nong— Crossing a Marsh— 
Twenty-Mile Prairie— Hastings's Woods— Duck Creek— Brunet— 

Home 246 

CHAPTER XXVL 

The Agency — The Blacksmith's House — Building a Kitchen— Four- 
Legs, the Dandy — Indian Views of Civilization — Efforts of M. 
Mazzuchelli—Charlotte 261 



Xii CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

PAOS 

The Cut-Nose— The Fawn— Visit of White Crow — Parting with 
Friends — Erissman — Louisa again — The Sunday-School . . 269 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 
Plante — Removal — Domestic Inconveniences — Indian Presents — 
Grandmother Day-kau-ray — Indian Customs — Indian Dances — 
The Medicine- Dance — Indian Graves — Old Boilvin's Wake . .275 

CHAPTER XXIX. 
Indian Tales— Story of the Red Fox 285 

CHAPTER XXX. 
Story of Shee-shee-banze 293 

CHAPTER XXXI. 
Visit to Green Bay — Disappointment — Return Journey — Knaggs's — 
Blind Indian — Ma-zhee-gaw-gaw Swamp — Bellefontaine . . 300 

CHAPTER XXXII. 
Commencement of the Sauk War — Winnebago Council — Cr^ly — Fol- 
ktt— Bravery— The Little Elk — An Alarm — Man-Eater and his 
Party — An Exciting Dance 310 

CHAPTER XXXIIL 
Fleeing from the Enemy — MsLta — Old Smoker — Meeting with Meno- 
toonees — Raising the Wind — Garlic Island — Winnebago Rapids 
— The Waubanakees — Thunder - Storm — Vitelle — Guardapi§ — 
Fort Howard 322 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 
Panic at Green Bay — Tidings of Cholera — Green Bay Flies — Doyle, 
the Murderer — Death of Lieutenant Foster — A Hardened Criminal 
— Good News from the Seat of War — Departure for Home — Ship- 
wreck at the Grand ChGte— A Wet Encampment — An Unexpected 
Arrival — Reinforcement of Volunteers — La Grosse Am^ricaine — 
Arrival at Home 334 

CHAPTER XXXV. 
Conclusion of the AVar — Treaty at Rock Island— Cholera among the 
Troops — Wau-kaun-kah — Wild-Cat's Frolic at the Mee-kan — Sur- 
render of the Winnebago Prisoners ..... . 347 



CONTENTS. Xiii 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

PAGE 

Delay in the Annual Payment — Scalp-Dances — Groundless Alarm — 
Arrival of Governor Porter — Payment — Escape of the Prisoners — 
Neighbors Lost — Reappearance — Robineau — Bellaire . . 366 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 
Agathe — " Kinzie's Addition" — Tomah — Indian Acuteness — Indian 
Simplicity 365 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
Famine — Day-kau-ray's Daughter — Noble Resolution of a Chief- 
Bread for the Hungry — Rev. Mr. Kent — An Escaped Prisoner — 
The Cut-Nose agiain — Leave-taking with our Red Children — De- 
parture from Fort Winnebago i73 

Appbmdix • . . S81 



THE 

"EARLY DAY" IN THE NORTHWEST. 



CHAPTER! 

DEPARTURE FROM DETROIT. 

It was on a dark, rainy evening in the month of Sep- 
tember, 1830, that we went on board the steamer " Henry 
Clay," to take passage for Green Bay. All our friends in 
Detroit had congratulated us upon our good fortune in 
being spared the voyage in one of the little schooners which 
at this time afforded the ordinary means of communica- 
tion with the few and distant settlements on Lakes Huron 
and Michigan. 

Each one had some experience to relate of his own or 
of his friends' mischances in these precarious journeys — 
long detentions on the St. Clair flats — furious head-winds 
off Thunder Bay, or interminable calms at Mackinac or 
the Manitous. That which most enhanced our sense of 
peculiar good luck, was the true story of one of our rela- 
tives having left Detroit in the month of June and reached 
Chicago in the September following, having been actually 
three months in performing what is sometimes accom- 
plished by even a sail-vessel in four days. 

But the certainty of encountering similar misadventures 

(15) 



16 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST 

would have weighed little with me. I was now to visit, 
nay, more, to become a resident of that land which had, 
for long years, been to me a region of romance. Since 
the time when, as a child, my highest delight had been in 
the letters of a dear relative, describing to me his home 
and mode of life in the "Indian country," and still later, 
in his felicitous narration of a tour with General Cass, in 
1820, to the sources of the Mississippi — nay, even earlier, 
in the days when I stood at my teacher's knee, and spelled 
out the long word Mich-i-li-mack-i-nac, that distant land, 
with its vast lakes, its boundless prairies, and its mighty 
forests, had possessed a wonderful charm for my imagina- 
tion. Now I was to see it I — it was to be my home I 

Our ride to the quay, through the dark by-ways, in a 
cart, the only vehicle which at that day could navigate the 
muddy, unpaved streets of Detroit, was a theme for much 
merriment, and not less so, our descent of the narrow, per- 
pendicular stair-way by which we reached the little apart- 
ment called the Ladies' Cabin. We were highly delighted 
with the accommodations, which, by comparison, seemed 
the very climax of comfort and convenience ; more espe- 
cially as the occupants of the cabin consisted, beside myself, 
of but a lady and two little girls. 

Nothing could exceed the pleasantness of our trip for 
the first twenty-four hours. There were some officers, old 
friends, among the passengers. We had plenty of books. 
The gentlemen read aloud occasionally, admired the soli- 
tary magnificence of the scenery around us, the primeval 
woods, or the vast expanse of water unenlivened by a 
single sail, and then betook themselves to their cigar, or 
their game of euchre, to while away the hours. 

For a time the passage over Thunder Bay was delight- 
ful, but, alas I it was not destined, in our favor, to belie its 
name. A storm came on, fast and furious — what was 



DEPARTURE FROM DETROIT. 17 

worse, it was of loug duration. The pitching and rolling 
of the little boat, the closeness, and even the sea-sickness, 
we bore as became us. They were what we had expected, 
and were prepared for. But a new feature of discomfort 
appeared, which almost upset our philosophy. 

The rain, which fell in torrents, soon made its way 
through every seam and pore of deck or moulding. Down 
the stair-way, through the joints and crevices, it came, 
saturating first the carpet, then the bedding, until, finally, 
we were completely driven, " by stress of weather," into 
the Gentlemen's Cabin. Way was made for us very 
gallantly, and every provision resorted to for our comfort, 
and we were congratulating ourselves on having found a 
haven in our distress, when, lo ! the seams above opened, 
and down upon our devoted heads poured such a flood, 
that even umbrellas were an insufficient protection. There 
was nothing left for the ladies and children but to betake 
ourselves to the berths, which, in this apartment, fortu- 
nately remained dry ; and here we continued ensconced the 
livelong day. Our dinner was served up to us on our 
pillows. The gentlemen chose the dryest spots, raised 
their umbrellas, and sat under them, telling amusing anec- 
dotes, and saying funny things to cheer us, until the rain 
ceased, and at nine o'clock in the evening we were glad- 
dened by the intelligence that we had reached the pier at 
Mackinac. 

We were received with the most affectionate cordiality 
by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stuart, at whose hospitable man- 
sion we had been for some days expected. 

The repose and comfort of an asylum like this, can be 
best appreciated by those who have reached it after a toss- 
ing and drenching such as ours had been. A bright, warm 
fire, and countenances beaming with kindest interest, dis- 
pelled all sensations of fatigue or annoyance. 

2* 



18 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

After a season of pleasant conversation, the servants 
were assembled, the chapter of God's word was solemnly 
read, the hymn chanted, the prayer of praise and thanks- 
giving offered, and we were conducted to our place of 
repose. 

It is not my purpose here to attempt a portrait of those 
noble friends whom I thus met for the first time. To an 
abler pen than mine should be assigned the honor of 
writing the biography of Robert Stuart. All who have 
enjoyed the happiness of his acquaintance, or, still more, a 
sojourn under his hospitable roof, will carry with them to 
their latest hour the impression of his noble bearing, his 
genial humor, his untiring benevolence, his upright, un- 
compromising adherence to principle, his ardent philan- 
thropy, his noble disinterestedness. Irving in his "As- 
toria," and Franchere in his "Narrative," give many 
striking traits of his early character, together with events 
of his history of a thrilling and romantic interest, but both 
have left the most valuable portion unsaid, his after-life, 
namely, as a Christian gentleman. 



MICHILIMA CKINA O. 19 



CHAPTER II 



MICHILIMACKINAC. 



MicHiLiMACKiNAC I that gem of the Lakes ! How 
bright and beautiful it looked as we walked abroad on the 
following morning ! The rain had passed away, but had 
left all things glittering in the light of the sun as it rose 
up over the waters of Lake Huron, far away to the east. 
Before us was the lovely bay, scarcely yet tranquil after 
the storm, but dotted with canoes and the boats of the 
fishermen already getting out their nets for the trout and 
whitefish, those treasures of the deep. Along the beach 
were scattered the wigwams or lodges of the Ottawas who 
had come to the island to trade. The inmates came forth 
to gaze upon us. A shout of welcome was sent forth, 
as they recognized Shaw-nee-aw-kee, who, from a seven 
years' residence among them, was well known to each 
individual. 

A shake of the hand, and an emphatic " Bon-jour— bon- 
jour,^^ is the customary salutation between the Indian 
and the white man. 

'' Do the Indians speak French ?" I inquired of my hus- 
band. 

" No ; this is a fashion they have learned of the French 
traders during many years of intercourse." 

Not less hearty was the greeting of each Canadian 
engage, as he trotted forward to pay his respects to " Mon- 
sieur John," and to utter a long string of felicitations, in 
a most incomprehensible patois. I was forced to take for 
granted all the good wishes showered upon "Madame 



20 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

John," of which I could comprehend nothing but the hope 
that I should be happy and contented in my ''vie sauvage.^^ 

The object of our early walk was to visit the Mission- 
house and school which had been some few years pre- 
viously established at this place by the Presbyterian 
Board of Missions. It was an object of especial interest 
to Mr. and Mrs. Stuart, and its flourishing condition at 
this period, and the prospects of extensive future useful- 
ness it held out, might well gladden their philanthropic 
hearts. They had lived many years on the island, and had 
witnessed its transformation, through God's blessing on 
Christian efforts, from a worldly, dissipated community to 
one of which it might almost be said, " Religion was every 
man's business." This mission establishment was the 
beloved child and the common centre of interest of the 
few Protestant families clustered around it. Through the 
zeal and good management of Mr. and Mrs. Ferry, and 
the fostering encouragement of the congregation, the school 
was in great repute, and it was pleasant to observe the 
effect of mental and religious culture in subduing the mis- 
chievous, tricky propensities of the half-breed, and rousing 
the stolid apathy of the genuine Indian. 

These were the palmy days of Mackinac. As the head- 
quarters of the American Fur Company, and the entrepot 
of the whole Northwest, all the trade in supplies and 
goods on the one hand, and in furs and products of the 
Indian country on the other, was in the hands of the 
parent establishment or its numerous outposts scattered 
along Lakes Superior and Michigan, the Mississippi, or 
through still more distant regions. 

Probably few are ignorant of the fact, that all the 
Indian tribes, with the exception of the Miamis and the 
Wyandots, had, since the transfer of the old French pos- 
sessions to the British Crown, maintained a firm alliance 



MICHILIMACKINAC. 21 

with the latter. The independence achieved by the United 
States did not alter the policy of the natives, nor did our 
Government succeed in winning or purchasing their friend- 
ship. Great Britain, it is true, bid high to retain them. 
Every year the leading men of the Chippewas, Ottawas, 
Pottowattamies, Menomonees, Winnebagoes, Sauks, and 
Foxes, and even still more remote tribes, journeyed from 
their distant homes to Fort Maiden in Upper Canada, to 
receive their annual amount of presents from their Great 
Father across the water. It was a master-policy thus to 
keep them in pay, and had enabled those who practised it 
to do fearful execution through the aid of such allies in the 
last war between the two countries. 

The presents they thus received were of considerable 
value, consisting of blankets, broadcloths or strouding, 
calicoes, guns, kettles, traps, silver-works (comprising arm- 
bands, bracelets, brooches, and ear-bobs), looking-glasses, 
combs, and various other trinkets distributed with no nig- 
gardly hand. 

The magazines and store-houses of the Fur Company at 
Mackinac were the resort of all the upper tribes for the sale 
of their commodities, and the purchase of all such articles 
as they had need of, including those above enumerated, and 
also ammunition, which, as well as money and liquor, their 
British friends very commendably omitted to furnish them. 

Besides their furs, various in kind and often of great 
value — beaver, otter, marten, mink, silver-gray and red 
fox, wolf, bear, and wild-cat, musk-rat, and smoked deer- 
skins — the Indians brought for trade maple-sugar in abun- 
dance, considerable quantities of both Indian corn and 
petit-ble,^ beans and the folles avoines,-\ or wild rice ; 

* Corn which has been parboiled, shelled from the cob, and dried in 
the sun. 
f Literally, crazy oats. It is the French name for the Menomonees. 



22 THE EARTjY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

while the squaws added to their quota of merchandise a 
contribution in the form of moccasins, hunting-pouches, 
mococks, or little boxes of birch-bark embroidered with 
porcupine - quills and filled with maple-sugar, mats of a 
neat and durable fabric, and toy-models of Indian cradles, 
snow-shoes, canoes, etc., etc. 

It was no unusual thing, at this period, to see a hundred 
or more canoes of Indians at once approaching the island, 
laden with their articles of traflSc ; and if to these we add 
the squadrons of large Mackinac boats constantly arriving 
from the outposts, with the furs, peltries, and buffalo-robes 
collected by the distant traders, some idea may be formed 
of the extensive operations and important position of the 
American Fur Company, as well as of the vast circle of 
human beings either immediately or remotely connected 
with it. 

It is no wonder that the philanthropic mind, surveying 
these races of uncultivated heathen, should stretch forward 
to the time when, through an unwearied devotion of the 
white man's energies, and an untiring sacrifice of self and 
fortune, his red brethren might rise in the scale of social civ- 
ilization — when Education and Christianity should go hand 
in hand, to make "the wilderness blossom as the rose." 

Little did the noble souls at that day rejoicing in the 
success of their labors at Mackinac, anticipate that in less 
than a quarter of a century there would remain of all these 
numerous tribes but a few scattered bands, squalid, de- 
graded, with scarce a vestige remaining of their former 
lofty character — their lands cajoled or wrested from them, 
the graves of their fathers turned up by the ploughshare 
— themselves chased farther and farther towards the 
setting sun, until they were literally grudged a resting- 
place on the face of the earth I 

Our visit to the Mission-school was of short duration, 



MICHILIMAGKINAC. 23 

for the Henry Clay was to leave at two o'clock, and in the 
mean time we were to see what we could of the village 
and its environs, and after that dine with Mr. Mitchell, an 
old friend of my husband. As we walked leisurely along 
over the white, gravelly road, many of the residences of 
the old inhabitants were pointed out to me. There was 
the dwelling of Madame Laframboise, an Ottawa woman, 
whose husband had taught her to read and write, and who 
had ever after continued to use the knowledge she had 
acquired for the instruction and improvement of the youth 
among her own people. It was her custom to receive a 
class of young pupils daily at her house, that she might 
give them lessons in the branches mentioned, and also in 
the principles of the Roman Catholic religion, to which 
she was deeply devoted. She was a woman of a vast deal 
of energy and enterprise — of a tall and commanding 
figure, and most dignified deportment. After the death 
of her husband, who was killed while away at his trading- 
post by a Winnebago named White Ox, she was accus- 
tomed to visit herself the trading-posts, superintend the 
clerks and engages, and satisfy herself that the business 
was carried on in a regular and profitable manner. 

The Agency-house, with its unusual luxuries of piazza 
and gardens, was situated at the foot of the hill on which 
the fort was built. It was a lovely spot, notwithstanding 
the stunted and dwarfish appearance of all cultivated vege- 
tation in this cold northern latitude. 

The collection of rickety, primitive-looking buildings, 
occupied by the officials of the Fur Company, reflected no 
great credit on the architectural skill of my husband, who 
had superintended their construction, he told me, when 
little more than a boy. 

There were, besides these, the residences of the Dous- 
mans, the Abbotts, the Biddies, the Drews, and the 



24 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Lashleys, stretching away along the base of the beautiful 
hill, crowned with the white walls and buildings of the 
fort, the ascent to which was so steep that on the pre- 
cipitous face nearest the beach staircases were built by 
which to mount from below. 

My head ached intensely, the eflfect of the motion of the 
boat on the previous day, but I did not like to give up to 
it ; so, after I had been shown all that could be seen of 
the little settlement in the short time allowed us, we re- 
paired to Mr. Mitchell's. 

We were received by Mrs. M., an extremely pretty, 
delicate woman, part French and part Sioux, whose early 
life had been passed at Prairie du Chien, on the Mississippi. 
She had been a great belle among the young oflScers at 
Fort Crawford ; so much so, indeed, that the suicide of 
the post-surgeon was attributed to an unsuccessful attach- 
ment he had conceived for her. I was greatly struck with 
her soft and gentle manners, and the musical intonation of 
her voice, which I soon learned was a distinguishing pecu- 
liarity of those women in whom are united the French 
and native blood. 

A lady, then upon a visit to the Mission, was of the 
company. She insisted on my lying down upon the sofa, 
and ministered most kindly to my suffering head. As she 
sat by my side, and expatiated upon the new sphere open- 
ing before me, she inquired : 

''Do you not realize very strongly the entire depriva- 
tion of religious privileges you will be obliged to suffer in 
your distant home V 

" The deprivation," said I, " will doubtless be great, but 
not entire ; for I shall have my Prayer-Book, and, though 
destitute of a church, we need not be without a mode of 
worship." 

How often afterwards, when cheered by the consolations 



MIGHILIMACKINAC. 25 

of that precious book in the midst of the lonely wilder- 
ness, did I remember this conversation, and bless God 
that I could never, while retaining it, be without "re- 
ligious privileges." 

We had not yet left the dinner-table, when the bell of 
the little steamer sounded to summon us on board, and we 
bade a hurried farewell to all our kind friends, bearing 
with us their hearty wishes for a safe and prosperous 
voyage. 

A finer sight can scarcely be imagined than Mackinac, 
from the water. As we steamed away from the shore, 
the view came full upon us — the sloping beach with the 
scattered wigwams, and canoes drawn up here and there 
— the irregular, quaint-looking houses — the white walls of 
the fort, and, beyond, one eminence still more lofty crowned 
with the remains of old Fort Holmes. The whole picture 
completed, showed the perfect outline that had given the 
island its original Indian name, Mich-i-li-mack-i-nack, the 
Big Turtle. 

Then those pure, living waters, in whose depths the 
fish might be seen gliding and darting to and fro ; whose 
clearness is such that an object dropped to the bottom may 
be discerned at the depth of fifty or sixty feet, a dollar 
lying far down on its green bed, looking no larger than a 
half dime ! I could hardly wonder at the enthusiastic lady 
who exclaimed : " Oh I I could wish to be drowned in 
these pure, beautiful waters 1" 

As we passed the extreme western point of the island, 
my husband pointed out to me, far away to the northwest, 
a promontory which he told me was Point St. Ignace. It 
possessed great historic interest, as one of the earliest 
white settlements on this continent. The Jesuit mission- 
aries had established here a church and school as early as 
1607, the same year in which a white settlement was 

3 



26 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

made at St. Augustine, in Florida, and one year before the 
founding of Jamestown, Virginia. 

All that remains of the enterprises of these devoted 
men, is the remembrance of their labors, perpetuated, in 
most instances, only by the names of the spots which wit- 
nessed their efforts of love in behalf of their savage 
brethren. The little French church at Sandwich, opposite 
Detroit, alone is left, a witness of the zeal and self-sacrifice 
of these pioneers of Christianity. 

Passing " Old Mackinac," on the main land, which forms 
the southern border of the straits, we soon came out into 
the broad waters of Lake Michigan. Every traveller, and 
every reader of our history, is familiar with the incidents 
connected with the taking of the old fort by the Indians, 
in the days of Pontiac. How, by means of a game of 
ball, played in an apparently friendly spirit outside the 
walls, and of which the officers and soldiers had come forth 
to be spectators, the ball was dexterously tossed over the 
wall, and the savages rushing in, under pretext of finding 
it, soon got possession and massacred the garrison. 

The little Indian village of L'Arbre Croche gleamed far 
away south, in the light of the setting sun. With that 
exception, there was no sign of living habitation along 
that vast and wooded shore. The gigantic forest-trees, 
and here and there the little glades of prairie opening to 
the water, showed a landscape that would have gladdened 
the eye of the agriculturist, with its promise of fertility ; 
but it was evidently untrodden by the foot of man, and 
we left it, in its solitude, as we took our course westward 
across the waters. 

The rainy and gusty weather, so incident to the equi- 
noctial season, overtook us again before we reached the 
mouth of Green Bay, and kept us company until the night 
of our arrival upon the flats, about three miles below the 



GREEN BAY. 2t 

settlement Here the little steamer grounded "fast and 
hard." As almost every one preferred braving the ele- 
ments to remaining cooped up in the quarters we had 
occupied for the past week, we decided to trust ourselves 
to the little boat, spite of wind, and rain, and darkness, 
and in due time we reached the shore. 



CHAPTER III. 



GREEN BAY. 



Our arrival at Green Bay was at an unfortunate 
moment. It was the time of a treaty between the United 
States Government and the Menomonees and Wau-ba-na- 
kees. Consequently, not only the commissioners of the 
treaty, with their clerks and officials, but traders, claimants, 
travellers, and idlers innumerable were upon the ground. 
Most of these were congregated in the only hotel the 
place afforded. This was a tolerably-sized house near the 
river-side, and as we entered the long dining-room, cold and 
dripping from the open boat, we were infinitely amused at 
the motley assemblage it contained. Various groups were 
seated around. New-comers, like ourselves, stood here 
and there, for there were not seats enough to accommo- 
date all who sought entertainment. The landlord sat 
calm and indifferent, his hands in his pockets, exhibiting 
all the phlegm of a Pennsylvania Dutchman. 

His fat, notable spouse was trotting round, now stop- 
ping to scold about some one who, " burn his skin I" had 
fallen short in his duty; now laughing good-humoredly 
until her sides shook, at some witticism addressed to her. 



28 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

She welcomed us very cordially, but to our inquiry, 
" Can you accommodate us ?" her reply was, '' Not I. I 
have got twice as many people now as I know what to do 
with. I have had to turn my own family out of their 
quarters, what with the commissioners and the lot of 
folks that has come in upon us." 

" What are we to do, then ? It is too late and stormy 
to go up to Shanty-town to seek for lodgings." 

" Well, sit you down and take your supper, and we will 
see what we can do." 

And she actually did contrive to find a little nook, in 
which we were glad to take refuge from the multitudes 
around us. 

A slight board partition separated us from the apartment 
occupied by General Root, of New York, one of the com- 
missioners of the treaty. The steamer in which we came 
had brought the mail, at that day a rare blessing to the 
distant settlements. The opening and reading of all the 
dispatches, which the General received about bed-time, 
had, of course, to be gone through with, before he could 
retire to rest. His eyes being weak, his secretaries were 
employed to read the communications. He was a little 
deaf withal, and through the slight division between the 
two apartments the contents of the letters, and his com- 
ments upon them, were unpleasantly audible, as he con- 
tinually admonished his secretary to raise his voice. 

" What is that, Walter ? Read that over again." 

In vain we coughed and hemmed, and knocked over 
sundry pieces of furniture. They were too deeply inter- 
ested to hear aught that passed around them, and if we 
had been politicians we should have had all the secrets of 
the working -men'' s party at our disposal, out of which to 
have made capital. 

The next morning it was still rain I rain 1 nothing but 



GREEN BAY. 29 

rain ! In spite of it, however, the gentlemen would take 
a small boat to row to the steamer, to bring up the lug- 
gage, not the least important part of that which apper- 
tained to us being sundry boxes of silver for paying the 
annuities to the Winnebagoes at the Portage. 

I went out with some others of the company upon the 
piazza, to witness their departure. A gentleman pointed 
out to me Fort Howard, on a projecting point of the op- 
posite shore, about three-quarters of a mile distant — the 
old barracks, the picketed inclosure, the walls, all looking 
quaint, and, considering their modern erection, really an- 
cient and venerable. Presently we turned our attention 
to the boat, which had by this time gained the middle of 
the river. One of the passengers was standing up in the 
stern, apparently giving some directions. 

" That is rather a venturesome fellow," remarked one ; 
"if he is not careful he will lose his balance." And at 
this moment we saw him actually perform a summerset 
backward, and disappear in the water. 

" Oh !" cried I, "he will be drowned !" 

The gentlemen laughed. " No, there he is ; they are 
helping him in again." 

The course of the boat was immediately changed, and 
the party returned to the shore. It was not until one dis- 
embarked and came dripping and laughing towards me, 
that I recognized him as my own peculiar property. He 
was pleased to treat the matter as a joke, but I thought it 
rather a sad beginning of Western experience. 

He suffered himself to be persuaded to intrust the care 
of his effects to his friends, and having changed his dress, 
prepared to remain quietly with me, when just at this 
moment a vehicle drove up to the door, and we recog- 
nized the pleasant, familiar face of our old friend, Judge 
Doty. 

3* 



30 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

He had received the news of our arrival, and had come 
to take us at once to his hospitable mansion. We were 
only too happy to gather together our bags and travelling- 
baskets and accompany him without farther ceremony. 

Our drive took us first along the edge of Navarino, next 
through Shauty-town (the latter a far more appropriate 
name than the former), amid mud and mire, over bad roads, 
and up and down hilly, break-neck places, until we reached 
the little brick dwelling of our friends. Mrs. Doty received 
us with such true, sisterly kindness, and everything seemed 
so full of welcome, that we soon felt ourselves at home. 

We found that, expecting our arrival, invitations had 
already been prepared to assemble the whole circle of 
Green Bay society to meet us at an evening party — this, 
in a new country, being the established mode of doing 
honor to guests or strangers. 

We learned, upon inquiry, that Captain Harney, who had 
kindly offered to come with a boat and crew of soldiers 
from Fort Winnebago, to convey us to that place, our 
destined home, had not yet arrived ; we therefore felt at 
liberty to make arrangements for a few days of social en- 
joyment at ''the Bay." 

It was pleasant to people, secluded in such a degree from 
the world at large, to hear all the news we had brought — 
all the particulars of life and manners — the thousand little 
items that the newspapers of that day did not dream of 
furnishing — the fashions, and that general gossip, in short, 
which a lady is erroneously supposed more an fait of, than 
a gentleman. 

I well remember that, in giving and receiving informa- 
tion, the day passed in a pretty uninterrupted stream of 
communication. All the party except myself had made 
the journey, or rather voyage, up the Fox River and down 
the Wisconsin to the Mississippi. 



GREEN BA Y. 31 

There were plenty of anecdotes of a certain trip per- 
formed by the three, in company with a French trader 
and his two sisters, then making their debut as Western 
travellers. The manner in which Mademoiselle Julie 
would borrow, without leave, a fine damask napkin or two, 
to wipe out the ducks in preparation for cooking — the dif- 
ficulty of persuading either of the sisters of the propriety 
of washing and rinsing their table apparatus nicely before 
packing it away in the mess-basket, the consequence of 
which was, that another nice napkin must be stealthily 
whisked out, to wipe the dishes when the hour for meals 
arrived — the fun of the young gentleman in hunting up 
his stray articles, thus misappropriated, from the nooks 
and corners of the boat, tying them with a cord, and hang- 
ing them over the stern, to make their way down the Wis- 
consin to Prairie du Chien. 

Then there was a capital story of M. Rolette himself. 
At one point on the route (I think in crossing Winnebago 
Lake) the travellers met one of the Company's boats on 
its way to Green Bay for supplies. M Rolette was one 
of the agents of the Company, and the people in the boat 
were his employes. Of course after an absence of some 
weeks from home, the meeting on these lonely waters and 
the exchanging of news was an occasion of great excite- 
ment. 

The boats were stopped — earnest greetings interchanged 
— question followed question. 

" Eh bien — have they finished the new house ?" 

" Oui, Monsieur. ^^ 

" Et la chemin^e, fume-t-elle ?" (Does the chimney 
smoke ?) 

" Non, Monsieur.^^ 

" And the harvest — how is that V 

" Very fine, indeed." 



32 THE EARLY DAY TN THE NORTHWEST 

" Is the mill at work ?" 
"Yes, plenty of water." 
" How is Whip?" (his favorite horse.) 
"Oh I Whip is first-rate." 

Everything, in short, about the store, the farm, the busi- 
ness of various descriptions being satisfactorily gone over, 
there was no occasion for farther delay. It was time to 
proceed. 

" Eh Men — adieu / hon voyage .'" 
"Arrachez, mes gens f^ (Go ahead, menl) 
Then suddenly — '' Arritez / arrUez P^ (Stop, stop I) 
" Comment se portent Madame Rolette et les enfans ?" 
(How are Mrs. Rolette and the children ?) 



This day, with its excitement, was at length over, and 
we retired to our rest, thankful that we had not General 
Root and his secretary close to our bed's head, with their 
budget of political news. 

My slumbers were not destined, however, to be quite 
undisturbed. I was awakened, at the first slight peep of 
dawn, by a sound from an apartment beneath our own — a 
plaintive, monotonous chant, rising and then falling in a 
sort of mournful cadence. It seemed to me a wail of 
something unearthly — so wild — so strange — so unaccount- 
able. In terror I awoke my husband, who reassured me 
by telling me it was the morning salutation of the Indians 
to the opening day. 

Some Menomonees had been kindly given shelter for 
the night in the kitchen below, and, having fulfilled their 
unvarying custom of chanting their morning hymn, they 
now ceased, and again composed themselves to sleep. But 
not so their auditor. There was to me something inex- 



GREEN BAT. 33 

pressibly beautiful in this morning song of praise from the 
untaught sons of the forest. What a lesson did it preach 
to the civilized, Christianized world, too many of whom lie 
down and rise up without an aspiration of thanksgiving to 
their Almighty Preserver — without even a remembrance 
of His care, who gives His angels charge concerning 
them I Never has the impression of that simple act 
of worship faded from my mind. I have loved to think 
that, with some, these strains might be the outpouring of 
a devotion as pure as that of the^ Christian when he utterf 
the inspiring words of the sainted Ken4- 



*^®'!^?^T*^1 9*1 ^b'S*^® X'" ®^*'* 



Washington, D. C 

Among the visitors who called to oflFer me a welcome to 
the West, were Mr. and Miss Cadle, who were earnestly 
engaged in the first steps of their afterwards flourishing 
enterprise for the education of Indian and half-breed chil- 
dren. The school-houses and chapel were not yet erected, 
but we visited their proposed site, and listened with great 
interest to bright anticipations of the future good that was 
to be accomplished — the success that was to crown their 
eflforts for taming the heathen and teaching them the 
knowledge of their Saviour and the blessings of civilized 
life. The sequel has shown how little the zeal of the few 
can accomplish, when opposed to the cupidity of the 
many. 

Our evening party went off as parties do elsewhere. 
The most interesting feature to me, because the most 
novel, was the conversation of some young ladies to 
whom I was introduced, natives of Green Bay or its 
vicinitv Their mother was a Menomonee, but their 



34 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

father was a Frenchman, a descendant of a settler some 
generations back, and who, there is reason to believe, was 
a branch of the same family of Grignon to which the 
daughter of Madame de Sevigne belonged. At least, it 
is said there are in the possession of the family many old 
papers and records which would give that impression, 
although the orthography of the name has become 
slightly changed. Be that as it may, the Miss Grignons 
were strikingly dignified, well-bred young ladies, and 
there was a charm about their soft voices, and original, 
unsophisticated remarks, very attractive to a stranger. 

They opened to me, however, a new field of apprehen- 
sion ; for, on my expressing my great impatience to see 
my new home, they exclaimed, with a look of wonder, — 

" Vous n'avez done pas peur des serpens ?" 

" Snakes ! was it possible there were snakes at Fort 
Winnebago ?" 

" At the Portage I oh ! yes — one can never walk out 
for them — rattle-snakes — copper-heads — all sorts I" 

I am not naturally timid, but I must confess that the 
idea of the serpens sonnettes and the siffleurs was not 
quite a subject of indifference. 

There was one among these young ladies whose tall, 
graceful figure, rich, blooming complexion, and dark, 
glancing eye, would have distinguished her in any draw- 
ing-room — and another, whose gentle sweetness and culti- 
vated taste made it a matter of universal regret that she 
was afterwards led to adopt the seclusion of a convent. 

Captain Harney and his boat arrived in due time, and 
active preparations for the comfort of our journey com- 
menced under the kind supervision of Mrs. Doty. The 
mess-basket was stowed with good things of every descrip- 
tion — ham and tongue — biscuit and plum-cake — not to 
mention the substantials of crackers, bread, and boiled 



ORE EN BAY. 35 

pork, the latter of which, however, a lady was supposed 
to be too fastidious to think of touching, even if starving 
in the woods. 

We had engaged three Canadian voyageurs to take 
charge of our tent, mess-basket, and matters and things 
in general. Their business it was to be to cut the wood 
for our fires, prepare our meals, and give a helping hand 
to whatever was going forward. A messenger had also 
been sent to the Kakalin, or rapids, twenty-one miles 
above, to notify Wish-tay-yun* the most accomplished 
guide through the difficult passes of the river, to be in 
readiness for our service on a specified day. 

In the mean time, we had leisure for one more party, 
and it was to be a "real Western hop." Everybody will 
remember that dance at Mrs. Baird's. All the people, 
young and old, that would be gathered throughout, or, as 
it was the fashion to express it, on Green Bay, were 
assembled. The young officers were up from Fort Howard, 
looking so smart in their uniforms — treasures of finery, 
long uncalled forth, were now brought to light — everybody 
was bound to do honor to the strangers by appearing in 
their very best. It was to be an entertainment unequalled 
by any given before. All the house was put in requisi- 
tion for the occasion. Desks and seats were unceremo- 
niously dismissed from Mr. B.'s office, which formed one 
wing, to afford more space for the dancers. Not only the 
front portion of the dwelling, but even the kitchen was 
made fit for the reception of company, in case any primi- 
tive visitor, as was sometimes the case, should prefer sit- 
ting down quietly there and smoking his cigar. This was 
an emergency that, in those days, had always to be pro- 
vided for. 



*Le Forgeron, or Blacksmith, a Menomonee chief. 



36 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Nothing could exceed the mirth and hilarity of the com- 
pany. No restraint, but of good manners — no excess of 
conventionalities — genuine, hearty good-humor and enjoy- 
ment, such as pleasant, hospitable people, with just enough 
of the French element to add zest to anything like amuse- 
ment, could furnish, to make the entertainment agreeable. 
In a country so new, and where, in a social gathering, the 
number of the company was more important than the 
quality, the circle was not always, strictly speaking, select. 

I was aware of this, and was therefore more amused 
than surprised when a clumsy little man, with a broad, 
red, laughing face, waddled across the room to where 
I had taken my seat after a dance, and thus addressed 
me : 

" Miss K , nobody hain't never introduced you to 

me, but I've seen you a good many times, and I know 
your husband very well, so I thought I might just as well 
come and speak to you — my name is A ." 

"Ah I Mr. A , good-evening. I hope you are en- 
joying yourself. How is your sister?" 

" Oh ! she is a great deal worse — her cold has got into 
her eye, and it is all shot up."*^ 

Then turning full upon a lady* who sat near, radiant 
with youth and beauty, sparkling with wit and genuine 
humor : 

" Oh ! Mrs. Beall," he began, " what a beautiful gown 
you have got on, and how handsome you do lookl I 
declare you're the prettiest woman in the room, and dance 
the handsomest." 

" Indeed, Mr. A ," replied she, suppressing her love 

of fun and assuming a demure look, " I am afraid you 
flatter me." 

* A niece of James Fenimore Cooper. 



VOYAGE UP FOX RIVER. 3t 

"No, I don't — Pm in earnest. I've just come to ask 
you to dance. " 

Such was the penalty of beiii^ t uo charming. 



CHAPTER lY. 

VOYAGE UP POX RIVER. 

It had been arranged that Judge Doty should accom- 
pany us in our boat as far as the Butte des Morts, at 
which place his attendant would be waiting with horses 
to convey him to Mineral Point, where he was to hold 
court. 

It was a bright and beautiful morning when w^e left his 
pleasant home, to commence our passage up the Fox 
River. Captain Harney was proposing to remain a few 
days longer at "the Bay," but he called to escort us to 
the boat and instal us in all its comforts. 

As he helped me along over the ploughed ground and 
other inequalities in our way to the river-bank, where the 
boat lay, he told me how impatiently Mrs. Twiggs, the 
wife of the commanding officer, who since the past spring 
had been the only white lady at Fort Winnebago, was 
now expecting a companion and friend. We had met in 
New York, shortly after her marriage, and were, there- 
fore, not quite unacquainted. I, for my part, felt sure 
that when there were two of our sex — when my piano 
was safely there — when the Post Library which we had 
purchased should be unpacked — when all should be fairly 
arranged and settled, we should be, although far away in 
the wilderness, the haopiest little circle imaginable. All 

4 



38 THE EARLY DAY TN THE NORTHWEST. 

my anticipations were of the most sanguine and cheerful 
character. 

It was a moderate-sized Mackinac boat, with a crew of 
soldiers, and our own three voyageurs in addition, that lay 
waiting for us — a dark-looking structure of some thirty 
feet in length. Placed in the centre was a framework of 
slight posts, supporting a roof of canvas, with curtains of 
the same, which might be let down at the sides and ends, 
after the manner of a country stage-coach, or rolled up to 
admit the light and air. 

In the midst of this little cabin or saloon was placed 
the box containing my piano, and on it a mattress, which 
was to furnish us a divan through the day and a place of 
repose at night, should the weather at any time prove too 
wet or unpleasant for encamping. The boxes of silver, 
with which my husband was to pay the annuities due his 
red children, by treaty stipulation, were stowed next. Our 
mess-basket was in a convenient vicinity, and we had pur- 
chased a couple of large square covered baskets of the 
Waubanakees, or New York Indians, to hold our various 
necessary articles of outward apparel and bedding, and at 
the same time to answer as very convenient little work- or 
dinner-tables. 

As a true daughter of New England, it is to be taken 
for granted I had not forgotten to supply myself with 
knitting-work and embroidery. Books and pencils were a 
matter of course. 

The greater part of our furniture, together with the 
various articles for housekeeping with which we had sup- 
plied ourselves in New York and Detroit, were to follow 
in another boat, under the charge of people whose business 
it professed to be to take cargoes safely up the rapids and 
on to Fort Winnebago. This was an enterprise requiring 
some three weeks of time and a great amount of labor, so 



VOYAGE UP FOX RIVER. 39 

that the owners of the goods transported might think 
themselves happy to receive them at last, however wet, 
broken, and dilapidated their condition might be. It was 
for this reason that we took our choicest possessions with 
ns, even at the risk of being a little crowded. 

Until now I had never seen a gentleman attired in a 
colored shirt, a spotless white collar and bosom being one 
of those "notions" that "Boston," and consequently New 
England " folks," entertained of the becoming in a gentle- 
man's toilette. Mrs. Cass had laughingly forewarned me 
that not only calico shirts but patch-work pillow-cases 
were an indispensable part of a travelling equipment ; and, 
thanks to the taste and skill of some tidy little French- 
woman, I found our divan-pillows all accommodated in the 
brightest and most variegated garb. 

The Judge and my husband were gay with the deepest 
of blue and pink. Each was prepared, besides, with a 
bright red cap (a bonnet rouge, or tuque, as the voyageurs 
call it), which, out of respect for the lady, was to be 
donned only when a hearty dinner, a dull book, or the 
want of exercise made an afternoon nap indispensable. 

The Judge was an admirable travelling companion. He 
had lived many years in the country, had been with 
General Cass on his expedition to the head-waters of the 
Mississippi, and had a vast fund of anecdote regarding 
early times, customs, and inhabitants. 

Some instances of the mode of administering justice in 
those days, I happen to recall. 

There was an old Frenchman at the Bay, named Reaume, 
excessively ignorant and grasping, although otherwise 
tolerably good-natured. This man was appointed justice 
of the peace. Two men once appeared before him, the one 
as plaintiff, the other as defendant. The justice listened 
patiently to the complaint of the one and the defence of 



40 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

the other; then rising, with dignity, he pronounced his 
decision : 

" You are both wrong. You, Bois-vert," to the plaintiff, 
" you bring me one load of hay ; and you, Crely," to the 
defendant, " you bring me one load of wood ; and now 
the matter is settled." It does not appear that any ex- 
ceptions were taken to this verdict. 

This anecdote led to another, the scene of which was 
Prairie du Chien, on the Mississippi. 

There was a Frenchman, a justice of the peace, who 
was universally known by the name of "Old Boilvin." 
His oflBce was just without the walls of the fort, and it 
was much the fashion among the officers to lounge in 
there of a morning, to find sport for an idle hour, and to 
take a glass of brandy-and-water with the old gentleman, 
which he called "taking a little quelque-chose.^^ 

A soldier, named Fry, had been accused of stealing and 
killing a calf belonging to M. Rolette, and the constable, a 
bricklayer of the name of Bell, had been dispatched to 
arrest the culprit and bring him to trial. 

While the gentlemen were making their customary 
morning visit to the justice, a noise was heard in the entry, 
and a knock at the door. 

" Come in," cried Old Boilvin, rising and walking toward 
the door. 

Bell. — Here, sir, I have brought Fry to you, as you 
ordered. 

Justice. — Fry, you great rascal! What for you kill 
M. Rolette's calf? 

Fry.^l did not kill M. Rolette's calf. 

Justice (shaking his fist). — You lie, you great rascal! 

Bell, take him to jail. Come, gentlemen, come, let us take 
a leetle quelque-chose. 



VOYAGE UP FOX RIVER. 41 

The Canadian boatmen always sing while rowing or 
paddling, and nothing encourages them so much as to 
hear the " bourgeois"* take the lead in the music. If the 
passengers, more especially those of the fair sex, join in 
the refrain, the compliment is all the greater. 

Their songs are of a light, cheerful character, generally 
embodying some little satire or witticism, calculated to 
produce a spirited, sometimes an uproarious, chorus. 

The song and refrain are carried on somewhat in the 
following style : 

Bourgeois. — Par-derriere chez ma tante, 
Par-derriere chez ma tante, 
Chorus. — Par-derriere chez ma tante, 
Par-derriere chez ma tante. 

Bourgeois. — II y a un coq qui chante, 

Des pommes, des poires, des raves, des ohoux, 
Des figues nouvelles, des raisins doux. 
Chorus. — Des pommes, des poires, des raves, des choux, 
Des figues nouvelles, des raisins doux. 

Bourgeois. — II y a un coq qui chante, 
II y a un coq qui chante. 
Chorus. — II y a un coq qui chante, etc. 

Bourgeois. — Demande unc femme a prendre, 

Des pommes, des poires, des raves, des choux, etc. 

Chorus. — Des pommes, des poires, etc. 

Bourgeois. — Demande une femme a prendre, 
Demande une femme si, etc. 

And thus it continues until the advice is given suc- 
cessively, 

Ne prenez pas une noire. 
Car elles aiment trop a boire, 
Ne prenez pas une rousse. 
Car elles sent trop jalousea. 

* Master — or, to use the emphatic Yankee term, 6om. 

4* 



42 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

And by the time all the different qualifications are re- 
hearsed and objected to, lengthened out by the inter- 
minable repetition of the chorus, the shout of the bourgeois 
is heard — 

" Whoop la ! a terre, a terre — pour la pipe !" 

It is an invariable custom for the voyageurs to stop every 
five or six miles to rest and smoke, so that it was formerly 
the way of measuring distances — " so many pipes," instead 
of "so many miles." 

The Canadian melodies are sometimes very beautiful, 
and a more exhilarating mode of travel can hardly be 
imagined than a voyage over these waters, amid all the 
wild magnificence of nature, with the measured strokes of 
the oar keeping time to the strains of '' Le Rosier Blanc,^^ 
*' En roulant ma Boule,^^ or '' Leve ton pied, ma jolie 
Bergere.^'' 

The climax of fun seemed to be in a comic piece, which, 
however oft repeated, appeared never to grow stale. It 
was somewhat after this fashion : 

Bourgeois. — Michaud est mont^ dans un prunier, 
Pour treiller des prunes. 
La branche a cass6 — 
Chorus. — Michaud a tonib6 ? 
Bourgeois. — Ou est-ce qu'il est? 

Chorus. — 11 est en has. 
Bourgeois. — Oh ! reveille, reveille, reveille. 

Oh ! reveille, Michaud est en haut !* 

It was always a point of etiquette to look astonished at 
the luck of Michaud in remaining in the tree, spite of the 
breaking of the branch, and the joke had to be repeated 

* Michaud climbed into a plum-tree, to gather plums. The branch 
broke. Michaud fell ! Where is he ? He ia down on the ground. No, 
he is up in the tree. 



VOYAGE UP FOX RTVER. 43 

through all the varieties of fruit-trees that Michaud might 
be supposed able to climb. 

By eveuing of the first day we arrived at the Kakalin^ 
where another branch of the Grignon family resided. We 
were very pleasantly entertained, although, in my anxiety 
to begin my forest life, I would fain have had the tent 
pitched on the bank of the river, and have laid aside, at 
once, the indulgences of civilization. This, however, 
would have been a slight, perhaps an affront ; so we did 
much better, and partook of the good cheer that was 
offered us in the shape of hot venison steaks and crepes, 
and that excellent cup of coffee which none can prepare 
like a Frenchwoman, and which is so refreshing after a 
day in the open air. 

The Kakalin is a rapid of the Fox River, sufficiently 
important to make the portage of the heavy lading of a 
boat necessary ; the boat itself being poled or dragged up 
with cords against the current. It is one of a series of 
rapids and chutes, or falls, which occur between this point 
and Lake Winnebago, twenty miles above. 

The next morning, after breakfast, we took leave of our 
hosts, and prepared to pursue our journey. The bourgeois, 
from an early hour, had been occupied in superintending 
his men in getting the boat and its loading over the Ka- 
kalin. As the late rains had made the paths through the 
woods and along the banks of the river somewhat muddy 
and uncomfortable for walking, I was put into an ox-cart, 
to be jolted over the unequal road; saluting impartially 
all the stumps and stones that lay in our way, the only 
means of avoiding which seemed to be when the little, 
thick-headed Frenchman, our conductor, bethought him of 
suddenly guiding his cattle into a projecting tree or thorn- 
bush, to the great detriment not only of my straw bonnet, 
but of my very eyes. 



44 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

But we got through at last, and, arriving at the head of 
the rapids, I found the boat lying there, all in readiness 
for our re-embarking. 

Our Menomonee guide, Wish-tay-yuTij a fine, stalwart 
Indian, with an open, good-humored, one might almost say 
roguish countenance, came forward to be presented to me. 

"Bon-jour, bon-jour, maman,'^ was his laughing saluta- 
tion. Again I was surprised, not as before at the French, 
for to that I had become accustomed, but at the respectable 
title he was pleased to bestow upon me. 

" Yes," said my husband, " you must make up your 
mind to receive a very numerous and well-grown family, 
consisting of all the Winnebagoes, Potto wattamies, Chip- 
pewas, and Ottawas, together with such Sioux, Sacs and 
Foxes, and lowas, as have any point to gain in applying 
to me. By the first-named tribe in virtue of my office, 
and by the others as a matter of courtesy, I am always 
addressed as 'father^ — you, of course, will be their 
'mother.^ " 

Wish-tay-yun and I were soon good friends, my husband 
interpreting to me the Chippewa language in which he 
spoke. We wore impatient to be off, the morning being 
already far advanced, and, all things being in readiness, the 
word was given : 

"Pousse au large, mes gens .'" (Push out, my men). 

At this moment a boat was seen leaving the opposite 
bank of the river and making towards us. It contained 
white men, and they showed by signs that they wished 
to detain us until they came up. They drew near, and we 
found them to be Mr. Marsh, a missionary among the 
Wau-ba-na-kees, or the New York Indians, lately brought 
into this country, and the Rev. Eleazar Williams,* who 

* The supposed Dauphin of France. 



VOYAGE UP FOX RIVER. 45 

was at that time living among his red brethren on the 
right bank of the Fox River. 

To persons so situated, even more emphatically thaa to 
those of the settlements, the arrival of visitors from the 
" east countrie " was a godsend indeed. We had to give 
all the news of various kinds that we had brought — polit- 
ical, ecclesiastical, and social — as well as a tolerably de- 
tailed account of what we proposed to do, or rather what 
we hoped to be able to do, among our native children at 
the Portage. 

I was obliged, for my part, to confess that, being almost 
entirely a stranger to the Indian character and habits, I 
was going among them with no settled plans of any kind 
— general good-will, and a hope of making them my friends, 
being the only principles I could lay claim to at present. 
I must leave it for time and a better acquaintance to show 
me in what way the principle could be carried out for their 
greatest good. 

Mr. Williams was a dark-complexioned, good-looking 
man. Having always heard him spoken of, by his rela- 
tions in Connecticut, as " our Indian cousin," it never oc- 
curred to me to doubt his belonging to that race, although 
I now think that if I had met him elsewhere I should 
have taken him for a Spaniard or a Mexican. His com- 
plexion had decidedly more of the olive than the copper 
hue, and his countenance was grave, almost melancholy. 
He was very silent during this interview, asking few ques- 
tions, and offering no observations except in reply to some 
question addressed to him. 

It was a hard pull for the men up the rapids. Wish- 
tay-yun, whose clear, sonorous voice was the bugle of the 
party, shouted and whooped — each one answered with a 
chorus, and a still more vigorous effort. By-and-by the 
boat would become firmly set between two huge stones — 



46 THE EARLY DAT IN THE NORTHWEST. 

"Whoop lal whoop 1 whoop 1" 

Another pull, and another, straining every nerve — in vain. 

" She will not budge I" 

" Men, overboard!" and instantly every rower is over 
the side and into the water. 

By pulling, pushing, and tugging, the boat is at length 
released from her position, and the men walk along beside 
her, helping and guiding her, until they reach a space of 
comparatively smooth water, when they again take their 
seats and their oars. 

It will be readily imagined that there were few songs 
this day, but very frequent piyes, to refresh the poor 
fellows after such an arduous service. 

It was altogether a new spectacle to me. In fact, I 
had hardly ever before been called upon to witness severe 
bodily exertion, and my sympathies and sensibilities were, 
for this reason, the more enlisted on the occasion. It 
seemed a sufficient hardship to have to labor in this vio- 
lent manner ; but to walk in cold water up to their waists, 
and then to sit down in their soaking garments without 
going near a fire ! Poor men I this was too much to be 
borne 1 What, then, was my consternation to see my hus- 
band, who, shortly after our noontide meal, had surprised 
me by making his appearance in a pair of duck trowsers 
and light jacket, at the first cry of " Fast, again I" spring 
over into the water with the men, and "bear a hand" 
throughout the remainder of the long stretch I 

When he returned on board, it was to take the oar of a 
poor, delicate-looking boy, one of the company of soldiers, 
who from the first had suflFered with bleeding at the nose 
on every unusual exertion. I was not surprised, on in- 
quiring, to find that this lad was a recruit just entered the 
service. He passed by the name of Gridley, but that was 
undoubtedly an assumed name. He had the appearance 



VOYAGE UP FOX RTVER. 47 

of having been delicately nurtured, and had probably- 
enlisted without at all appreciating the hardships and 
discomforts of a soldier^s life. This is evident from the 
dissatisfaction he always continued to feel, until at length 
he deserted from his post. This was some months subse- 
quent to the time of which I am writing. He was once re- 
taken, and kept for a time in confinement, but immediately 
on his release deserted again, and his remains were found 
the following spring, not many miles from the fort. He 
had died, either of cold or starvation. This is a sad inter- 
'ude — we will return to our boating. 

With all our tugging and toiling, we had accomplished 
but thirteen miles since leaving the Kakalin, and it was 
already late when we arrived in view of the " Grande 
Chute," near which we were to encamp. 

We had passed the " Little Chute" (the spot where the 
town of Appleton now stands) without any further obser- 
vation than that it required a vast deal of extra exertion 
to bufi'et with the rushing stream and come off, as we did, 
victorious. 

The brilliant light of the setting sun was resting on the 
high wooded banks through which broke the beautiful, 
foaming, dashing waters of the Chiite. The boat was 
speedily turned towards a little headland projecting from 
the left bank, which had the advantage of a long strip 
of level ground, sufficiently spacious to afi'ord a good en- 
camping ground. I jumped ashore before the boat was 
fairly pulled up by the men, and with the Judge's help 
made my way as rapidly as possible to a point lower down 
the river, from which, he said, the best view of the Chute 
could be obtained. I was anxious to make a sketch before 
the daylight quite faded away. 

The left bank of the river was to the west, and over a 



48 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

portion less elevated than the rest the sun's parting rays 
fell upon the boat, the men with their red caps and belts, 
and the two tents already pitched. The smoke now begin- 
ning to ascend from the evening fires, the high wooded 
bank beyond, up which the steep portage path could just 
be discerned, and, more remote still, the long stretch of 
waterfall now darkening in the shadow of the overhang- 
ing forests, formed a lovely landscape, to which the pencil 
of an artist could alone do justice. 

This was my first encampment, and I was quite en- 
chanted with the novelty of everything about me. 

The fires had been made of small saplings and under- 
brush, hastily collected, the mildness of the weather ren- 
dering anything beyond what sufficed for the purposes of 
cooking and drying the men's clothes, superfluous. The 
soldiers' tent was pitched at some distance from our own, 
but not too far for us to hear distinctly their laughter and 
apparent enjoyment after the fatigues of the day. 

Under the careful superintendence of Corporal Kilgour, 
however, their hilarity never passed the bounds of re- 
spectful propriety, and, by the time we had eaten our sup- 
pers, cooked in the open air with the simple apparatus of 
a tea-kettle and frying-pan, we were, one and all, ready to 
retire to our rest. 

The first sound that saluted our ears in the early dawn 
of the following morning, was the far-reaching call of the 
bourgeois : 

" How 1 how I how I" uttered at the very top of his 
voice. 

All start at that summons, and the men are soon turn- 
ing out of their tents, or rousing from their slumbers be- 
side the fire, and preparing for the duties of the day. 

The fire is replenished, the kettles set on to boil, the 
mess-baskets opened, and a portion of their contents brought 



VOYAOE UP FOX RIVER. 49 

forth to be made ready for breakfast. One Frenchman 
spreads our mat within the tent, whence the bedding has 
all been carefully removed and packed up for stowing in 
the boat. The tin cups and plates are placed around on 
the new-fashioned table-cloth. The heavy dews make it 
a little too damp for us to breakfast in the open air ; other- 
wise our preparations would be made outside, upon the 
green grass. In an incredibly short time our smoking 
coflfee and broiled ham are placed before us, to which are 
added, from time to time, slices of toast brought hot and 
fresh from the glowing coals. 

There is, after all, no breakfast like a breakfast in the 
woods, with a well-trained Frenchman for master of cere- 
monies. 

It was a hard day's work to which the men now applied 
themselves, that of dragging the heavy boat up the Chute. 
It had been thought safest to leave the piano in its place 
on board, but the rest of the lading had to be carried up 
the steep bank, and along its summit, a distance of some 
hundreds of rods, to the smooth water beyond, where all 
the difficulties of our navigation terminated. 

The Judge kindly took charge of me while "the bour- 
geois" superintended this important business, and with 
reading, sketching, and strolling about, the morning glided 
away. Twelve o'clock came, and still the preparations 
for starting were not yet completed. 

In my rambles about to seek out some of the finest of 
the wild flowers for a bouquet, before my husband's re- 
turn, I came upon the camp-fire of the soldiers. A tall, 
red-faced, light-haired young man in fatigue dress was 
attending a kettle of soup, the savory steams of which 
were very attractive. 

Seeing that I was observing his occupation, he politely 
ladled out a tin-cupful of the liquid and offered it to me. 

5 



60 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

I declined it, saying we should have our dinner imme- 
diately. 

" They left me here to get their dinner," said he, appa- 
rently not displeased to have some one to talk to ; " and I 
thought I might as well make some soup. Down on the 
German Flats, where I come from, they always like soup." 

" Ah 1 you are from the German Flats — then your name 
must be Bellinger or Weber." 

" No, it isn't — it's Krissman." 

" Well, Krissman, how do you like the service ?" 

" Very well. I was only recruited last summer. I used 
to ride horse on the Ganawl, and, as I can blow a horn 
first-rate, I expect I will soon be able to play on a bugle, 
and then, when I get to be musician, you know, I shall 
have extra pay." 

I did not know it, but I expressed due pleasure at the 
information, and wishing Krissman all manner of success 
in his dreams of ambition, or rather, I should say, of 
avarice, for the hopes of "extra pay" evidently prepon- 
derated over those of fame, I returned to my own quarters. 

My husband, with his French tastes, was inclined to be 
somewhat disappointed when I told him of this little 
incident, and my refusal of Krissman's soup ; but we were 
soon gratified by seeing his tall, awkward form bearing a 
kettle of the composition, which he set down before the 
two gentlemen, bj^ whom, to his infinite satisfaction, it 
was pronounced excellent. 

Everything being at length in readiness, the tents were 
struck and carried around the Portage, and my husband, 
the Judge, and I followed at our leisure. 

The woods were brilliant with wild flowers, although 
it was so late in the season that the glory of the summer 
was well-nigh past. But the lupin, the moss-pink, and the 
yellow wallflower, with all the varieties of the helianthus, 



WINNEBAGO LAKE— MISS FOUR-LEGS. 51 

the aster, and the solidago, spread their gay charms 
around. The gentlemen gathered clusters of the bitter- 
sweet (celastrus scandens) from the overhanging boughs 
to make a wreath for my hat, as we trod the tangled path- 
way, which, like that of Christabel, was 

" Now in glimmer and now in gloom," 

through the alternations of open glade and shady thicket. 
Soon, like the same lovely heroine, 

" We reached the place — right glad we were," 

and, without further delay, we were again on board our 
little boat and skimming over the now placid waters. 



CHAPTER y. 

WINNEBAGO LAKE — MISS FOUR-LEGS. 

Our encampment this night was the most charming 
that can be imagined. Owing to the heavy service the 
men had gone through in the earlier part of the day, 
we took but a short stage for the afternoon, and, having 
pulled some seven or eight miles to a spot a short distance 
below the " little Butte," we drew in at a beautiful opening 
among the trees. 

The soldiers now made a regular business of encamp- 
ing, by cutting down a large tree for their fire and apply- 
ing themselves to the preparing of a sufficient quantity of 
food for their next day's journey, a long stretch, namely, 
of twenty-one miles across Winnebago Lake. Our French- 
men did the same. The fire caught in the light dry grass 



52 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

by which we were surrounded, and soon all was blaze and 
crackle. 

Fortunately the wind was sufficient to take the flames 
all in one direction, and, besides, there was not enough 
fuel to have made them a subject of any alarm. We 
hopped upon the fallen logs, and dignified the little cir- 
cumscribed afifair with the name of "a prairie on fire." 
The most serious inconvenience was its having consumed 
all the dry grass, some armfuls of which, spread under the 
bearskin in my tent, I had found, the night before, a great 
improvement to my place of repose. 

Our supper was truly delightful, at the pleasant sunset 
hour, under the tall trees beside the waters that ran mur- 
muring by ; and when the bright, broad moon arose, and 
shed her flood of light over the scene, so wild yet so 
beautiful in its vast solitude, I felt that I might well be 
an object of envy to the friends I had left behind. 

But all things have an end, and so must at last my 
enthusiasm for the beauties around me, and, albeit unwill- 
ingly, I closed my tent and took my plaee within, so near 
the fall of canvas that I could raise it occasionally and 
peep forth upon the night. 

In time all was quiet. The men had become silent, and 
appeared to have retired to rest, and we were just sinking 
to our slumbers, when a heavy tread and presently a bluflf 
voice were heard outside. 

"Mr. Kinziel Mr. Kinzie!" 

" Who is there ? What is it ?" 

'* I'm Krissman ; didn't you mean, sir, that the men 
should have any liquor to-night?" 

" Of course I did. Has not Kilgour given out your 
rations ?" 

" No : he says you did not say anything particular 
about it, and he was not coming to ask you if you forgot 



WINNEBAGO LAKE— MISS FOUR-LEGS. 53 

it; but I thought I wouldn't be bashful — I'd just come 
and ask." 

" That is right. Tell Kilgour I should like to have 
him serve out a ration apiece." 

"Thank you, sir," in a most cheerful tone; "I'll tell 
him." 

Krissman was getting to be quite a character with us. 

A row of a few miles, on the following morning, brought 
us to Four-Legs' village,* at the entrance to Winne- 
bago Lake, a picturesque cluster of Indian huts, spread 
around on a pretty green glade, and shaded by fine lofty 
trees. 

We were now fairly in the Winnebago country, and I 
soon learned that the odd- sounding name of the place was 
derived from the principal chief of the nation, whose resi- 
dence it was. The inhabitants were absent, having, in all 
probability, departed to their wintering grounds. We here 
took leave of our friend Wish-tay-yun, at the borders of 
whose country we had now arrived. 

"Bon-jour, Chon/^^ (John:) " bon'-jour, maniany A 
hearty shake of the hand completed his adieu, as we 
pushed off into the lake, and left him smoking his kin-nee- 
kin-nickf and waiting until the spirit should move him to 
take up his long Indian trot towards his home in the 
Menomonee country. 

With him our sunshine seemed to have departed. The 
skies, hitherto so bright and serene, became overcast, and, 
instead of the charming voyage we had anticipated over 
the silver waters of the lake, we were obliged to keep our- 
selves housed under our canvas shelter, only peeping out 



* The site of the town of Nee-nah. 

f The bark of the red willow, scraped fine, which ia preferred by the 
Indians to tobacco. 

6* 



54 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

now and then to catch a glimpse of the surrounding pros- 
pect through the pouring rain. 

It was what might have been expected on an autumnal 
day, but we were unreasonable enough to find it tedious ; 
so, to beguile the time and lessen my disappointment, my 
husband related to me some incidents of his early history, 
apropos to the subject of " Four-Legs." 

While he was living at Prairie du Chien, in the employ 
of the American Fur Company, the chiefs and other In- 
dians from the Upper Mississippi used frequently to come 
to the place to sell their furs and peltries, and to purchase 
merchandise, ammunition, trinkets, etc. 

As is usual with all who are not yet acclimated, he 
was seized with chills and fever. One day, while suffer- 
ing with an unusually severe access of the latter, a chief 
of the Four-Legs family, a brother to the one before 
mentioned, came in to the Company's warehouse to trade. 
There is no ceremony or restraint among the Indians : so, 
hearing that Shaw-nee-aw-kee was sick, Four-Legs in- 
stantly made his way to him, to offer his sympathy and 
prescribe the proper remedies. 

Every one who has suffered from ague and the intense 
fever that succeeds it, knows how insupportable is the 
protracted conversation of an inconsiderate person, and 
will readily believe that the longer Four-Legs continued his 
pratings the higher mounted the fever of the patient, and 
the more intolerable became the pain of head, back, and 
limbs. 

At length the old man an-ived at the climax of what he 
had to say. " It was not good for a young man, suffer- 
ing with sickness, and away from his family, to be without 
a home and a wife. He had a nice daughter at home, 
handsome and healthy, a capital nurse, the best hand in 
all the tribe at trapping beaver and musk-rats. He was 



WINNEBAGO LAKE— MISS FOUR-LEQS. 55 

coming down again in the spring, and he would bring her 
with him, and Shaw-nee-aw-kee should see that he had 
told no falsehood about her. Should he go now, and 
bring his daughter the next time he came ?" 

Stunned with his importunate babble, and anxious only 
for rest and quiet, poor Shaw-nee-aw-kee eagerly assented, 
and the chief took his departure. 

So nearly had his disorder been aggravated to delirium, 
that the young man forgot entirely, for a time, the inter- 
view and the proposal which had been made him. But it 
was recalled to his memory some months after, when Four- 
Legs made his appearance, bringing with him a squaw of 
mature age, and a very Hecate for ugliness. She carried 
on her shoulders an immense pack of furs, which, approach- 
ing with her awkward criss-cross gait, she threw at his 
feet, thus marking, by an Indian custom, her sense of the 
relation that existed between them. 

The conversation with her father now flashed across his 
mind, and he began to be sensible that he had got into a 
position that it would require some skill to extricate him- 
self from. 

He bade one of the young clerks take up the pack and 
carry it into the magazine where the furs were stored ; 
then he coolly went on talking with the chief about in- 
different matters. 

Miss Four- Legs sat awhile with a sulky, discontented 
air ; at length she broke out, — 

" Humph I he seems to take no more notice of me than 
if I was nobody 1" 

He again turned to the clerk.—" Give her a calico shirt 
and half a dozen bread-tickets." 

This did not dissipate the gloom on her countenance. 
Finding that he must commence the subject, the father 
says, — 



56 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

" Well, I have brought you my daughter, according to 
our agreement. How do you like her?" 

"Ah, yes — she is a very nice young woman, and would 
make a first-rate wife, I have no doubt. But do you know 
a very strange thing has happened since you were here ? 
Our father. Governor Cass,* has sent for me to come to 
Detroit, that he may send me among the Wyandottes and 
other nations to learn their customs and manners. Now, 
if I go, as I shall be obliged to do, I shall be absent two 
or three years, — perhaps four. What then? Why, the 
people will say, Shaw-nee-aw-kee has married Four-Legs' 
daughter, and then has hated her and run away from her, 
and so everybody will laugh at her, and she will be 
ashamed. It will be better to take some good, valuable 
presents, blankets, guns, etc., and to marry her to one of 
her own people, who will always stay by her and take 
care of her." 

The old man was shrewd enough to see that it was 
wisest to make the best bargain he could. I have no 
doubt it cost a round sum to settle the matter to the satis- 
faction of the injured damsel, though I have never been 
able to ascertain how much. This I know, that the 
young gentleman took care not to make his next bargain 
while in a fit of the ague. The lady up on the Missis- 
sippi is called, in derision, by his name to this day. 

About midway of the lake we passed Garlic Island — a 
lovely spot, deserving of a more attractive name. It be- 
longed, together with the village on the opposite shore, to 
"Wild Cat," a fat, jolly, good-natured fellow, by no means 
the formidable animal his name would imply. 

He and his band were absent, like their neighbors of 



* General Cass was then Governor of Michigan, and Superintendent of 
the Northwestern Indians. 



WINNEBAGO LAKE— MISS FOUR-LEOS. 57 

Four-Legs' village, so there was nothing to vary the 
monotony of our sail. It was too wet to sing, and the 
men, although wrapped in their overcoats, looked like 
drowned chickens. They were obliged to ply their oars 
with unusual vigor to keep themselves warm and com- 
fortable, and thus probably felt less than we, the dulness 
and listlessness of the cold, rainy, October day. 

Towards evening the sun shone forth. We had passed 
into the Fox River, and were just entering that beautiful 
little expanse known as Butte des Morts Lake, at the 
farther extremity of which we were to encamp for the 
night. 

The water along its shores was green with the fields of 
wild rice, the gathering of which, just at this season, is an 
important occupation of the Indian women. They push 
their canoes into the thick masses of the rice, bend it for- 
ward over the side with their paddles, and then beat the 
ripe husks off the stalks into a cloth spread in the canoe. 
After this, it is rubbed to separate the grain from the husk, 
and fanned in the open air. It is then put in their cordage 
bags and packed away for winter use. The grain is longer 
and more slender than the Carolina rice — it is of a greenish- 
olive color, and, although it forms a pleasant article of 
food, it is far from being particularly nutritive. The In- 
dians are fond of it in the form of soup, with the addition 
of birds or venison. 



58 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST, 

CHAPTER VI. 

BREAKFAST AT BETTY MORE'S. 

The eartb, the trees, and the shrubbery were all too 
much filled with the heavy rain which had fallen to allow 
us to think of encamping, so we made arrangements to 
bestow ourselves in our little saloon for the night. It was 
rather a diflScult matter to light a fire, but among the 
underbrush, in a wild, undisturbed spot, there will always 
be found some fragments of dried branches, and tufts of 
grass which the rain has not reached, and by the assist- 
ance of the spunk, or light-wood, with which travellers 
always go well provided, a comforting fire was at length 
blazing brightly. 

After our chilling, tedious day, it was pleasant to gather 
round it, to sit on the end of the blazing logs, and watch 
the Frenchmen preparing our supper — the kettle nestling 
in a little nook of bright glowing coals — the slices of ham 
browning and crisping on the forked sticks, or "broches," 
which the voyageurs dexterously cut, and set around the 
burning brands — the savory messes of " pork and onions" 
hissing in the frying-pan, always a tempting regale to the 
hungry Frenchmen. Truly, it needs a wet, chilly journey, 
taken nearly fasting, as ours had been, to enable one to 
enjoy to its full extent that social meal — a supper. 

The bright sun, setting amid brilliant masses of clouds, 
such as are seen only in our Western skies, gave promise 
of a fine day on the morrow, with which comforting as- 
surance we were glad to take our leave of him, and soon 
after of each other. 



BREAKFAST AT BETTY MORF/S. 59 

We had hardly roused up the following morning, in 
obedience to the call of the bourgeois, when our eyes were 
greeted with the sight of an addition to our company — a 
tall, stalwart, fine-looking young mitiff, or half-breed, 
accompanied by two or three Indians. Vociferous and 
joyous were the salutations of the latter to their " father " 
and their new "mother.'^ They were the first Winneba- 
goes I had seen, and they were decidedly not the finest 
specimens of their tribe. The mitiff, a scion of the wide- 
spreading tree of the Grignons, was the bearer of an invi- 
tation to us from Judge Law, who, with one or two Green 
Bay friends, was encamped a few miles above, to come 
and breakfast with him in his tent. We had not dreamed 
of finding white neighbors here, but our vicinity could be 
no secret to them, as long as there was an Indian in the 
neighborhood. So, delaying only for the soldiers to finish 
their breakfast, we pushed on for the " Butte des Morts," 
or, as Mrs. A. always persisted in calling it, Betty Mo7'e^s. 

The white tent of the Judge gleamed in the morning 
sun as we approached the little rising ground on which it 
stood. The river was filled with canoes, paddled princi- 
pally by squaws. Many Indians were to be seen on the 
banks, all with their guns and hunting accoutrements, for 
the air was filled in every direction with flocks of teal, 
which at this season are most abundant and delicious. 
The immense fields of wild rice abounding here and in the 
little lake below, make this vicinity their favorite place of 
resort in the autumn months. The effect of this nourishing 
food is to make the flesh of the birds so fat, so white, and 
so tender, that a caution is always given to a young sports- 
man to fire only at such as fly very low, for if shot high 
in the air they are bruised to pieces and rendered unfit for 
eating by their fall to the ground. 

We were hemmed in by a little fleet of canoes which 



60 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

surrounded us, the women chattering, laughing, and eagerly- 
putting forward their little wooden bowls of fresh cran- 
berries as an offering of welcome to me. 

I amused myself with tossing crackers to them, some of 
which would reach them, others would fall into the water, 
and then such a scrambling and shouting I Hands and 
paddles were in requisition, and loud was the triumph of 
her who was successful in reaching a floating one. 

Among the Indians with whom Shaw-nee-aw-kee was 
now engaged in shaking hands, and who all seemed old 
friends, were many fine, straight, well-formed figures, all of 
them exhibiting frames capable of enduring fatigue and 
the hardships of their mode of life. One was describing 
with much gesticulation the abundance of the game in 
the neighborhood, and he seemed greatly delighted at re- 
ceiving a quantity of ammunition, with which he instantly 
departed to make good his boasts in the matter. 

After walking a short distance, we reached the tent, 
where I was introduced to Judge Law and a pleasant little 
gray-haired French gentleman of the name of Porlier. 
Several voyageurs and half-breeds were near, the former 
busily at work, the latter lounging for the most part, and 
going through with what they had to do with a sort of 
listless indifference. 

The contrast between the " all-alive" air of the one 
class and the apathetic manner of the other, was quite 
striking. 

After a short conversation among the members of the 
party, breakfast was announced, and we entered the tent 
and took our seats on the ground around the Indian mat 
which supplied the place of a table. 

The post of honor, namely, the head of the table, was 
of course given to me, so that I could not only look around 
upon the circle of the company, but also enjoy a fine view 



BREAKFAST AT BETTY MORE'S. 61 

out of the open door of the tent, and take an observation 
of all that was going on at the side-table outside. Judge 
Doty sat opposite me, with his back to the opening of the 
tent, and the other gentlemen on either hand. We had 
for our waiter the tall " mitiff" who had been the mes- 
senger of the morning. He was still in the same garb — 
calico shirt, bright-colored scarf around his waist, and on 
his head a straw hat encircled with a band of black ostrich 
feathers, the usual dress of his class. 

The tin cups which were to hold our coffee were duly 
set around, then breakfast-plates of the same metal, with 
knives and forks; then followed ttie viands, among the 
most conspicuous of which was a large tin pan of boiled 
ducks. 

The Judge, wishing to show, probably, that, although 
we were in the vast wilderness, all fastidious nicety had 
not been left behind, took up the plate which had been set 
before him, and, seeing something adhering to it v/hich 
did not exactly please him, handed it over his shoulder to 
Grignon, requesting him to wipe it carefully. Grignon 
complied by pulling a black silk barcelona handkerchief 
out of his bosom, where it had been snugly tucked away 
to answer any occasion that might present itself, and, giv- 
ing the tin a furious polishing, handed it back again. The 
Judge looked at it with a smile of approbation, and giving 
a glance around the table as much as to say, " You see 
how I choose to have things done," applied himself to his 
breakfast. 

The trail for Fort Winnebago then led from the shore 
opposite Butte des Morts, through Ma-zhee-gaw-gaw 
swamp, and past Green Lake, and it was well for the 
Judge that his horses stood waiting for him to " mount 
and away" as early as possible after breakfast, or I am 
afraid the story I should have been tempted to tell would 

6 



62 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

have made his ride an uncomfortable one throughout the 
day. 

We had hardly finished breakfast when our hunter, who 
had received the ammunition, returned, bringing with him 
about fifty fine ducks, which he had shot in little more than 
an hour. From that time until the close of our journey 
our supply of these delicate birds was never wanting. 



CHAPTER VII. 

BUTTE DES MORTS — LAKE PUCKAWAY. 

The Butte des Morts, or Hillock of the Dead, was the 
scene long since* of a most sanguinary battle between the 
French and the Mis-qua-kees, or Foxes. So great was 
the carnage in this engagement, that the memory of it has 
been perpetuated by the gloomy appellation given to the 
mound where the dead were buried. The Foxes up to 
this time had inhabited the shores of the river to which 
they had given their name, but, being completely over- 
whelmed and beaten in this conflict, they retired to the 
neighborhood of the Mississippi, and sought an asylum 
among their allies, the Saukies, or, as they are now called, 
the Sauks, with whom they became gradually incorporated, 
until the combined tribes came to be known, as at present, 
by the name of " Sauks and Foxes." 

Among the French inhabitants of the upper country, each 
tribe of Indians has a particular appellation, descriptive 
of some peculiarity of either their habits or their personal 

* In the year 1714. 



BUTTE DES MORTS—LAKE PUCK AWAY. 63 

appearance. Thus, the Chippewas, from their agility, are 
denominated " Sauteurs," or Jumpers; the Ottawas, the 
" Courtes-oreilles," or Short-ears. The Menomonees, from 
the wild rice so abundant in their country, are called 
" Folles Avoiues ;" — the Winnebagoes, from their custom 
of wearing the fur of a polecat on their legs when equipped 
for war, are termed "les Puans;" — the Pottowattamies, 
from their uncleanly habits, " les Poux ;" — the Foxes are 
" les Renards," etc. etc. 

Hence you will never hear a French or half-breed resi- 
dent of the country mention an Indian in any other style. 
" Such a person is a ' Court-oreille.' " " Is that woman a 
'Winnebago'?" " No, she is a ' Folic Avoine.'" In this 
manner a stranger is somewhat puzzled at first to classify 
the acquaintances he forms. 

All the native friends with whom we were here sur- 
rounded were " les Puans," or, to use their own eupho- 
nious appellation, the " ffo-tshung-rahs.''^ 

Having with great regret said adieu to our friend Judge 
Doty, whose society had contributed so much to the pleas- 
ure of our trip, and whose example, moreover, had given 
us a valuable lesson to take things as we find them, we 
bade good-bye at an early hour after breakfast to our kind 
hosts, and set forward on our journey. 

From Butte des Morts to the Portage, the distance by 
land is about seventy miles ; by water, it is not less than 
a hundred and thirty, so serpentine is the course of the 
river through the low swampy prairies which stretch over 
a great portion of this part of the country. 

About six miles above the Butte, a tolerably broad 
stream, called Wolf River, joins the Fox, and as it is 
much the more direct and promising of the two, stran- 
gers have sometimes mistaken it for the main stream, 
and journeyed up it a considerable distance before dis- 



64 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

covering, to their great chagrio, that they raust retrace 
their steps. 

Beyond this place, the river begins to play its pranks 
with the compass. As I was always looking out for 
pretty scenery to sketch, I was at one spot much attracted 
by a picturesque group on a bank quite close to the 
stream. There were broad overhanging trees, and two or 
three wigwams nestled under their shade. Bright-looking 
little children, quite unencumbered with clothing, were 
sporting about, and their two mothers were sitting on the 
ground, engaged in the manufacture of a mat for their 
lodge. It was a pretty scene, and I commenced a sketch. 
-As usual, the whole party on the bank set up a shout 
when they recognized Shaw-nee-aw-kee, — 

" Ee-awn-chee-wee-rah, Hee-nee-kar-ray-kay-noo."* 

It was an occasion on which they became demonstrative. 
After a little time we proceeded, and I went on to complete 
my drawing. The sun kept coming more and more into the 
wrong place. He had been just behind me, presently he was 
on my left hand, now he was straight ahead. I moved from 
time to time ; at length the sun was decidedly on my right 
hand. What could be the matter ? I looked up. " Oh, 
here is a pretty scene ; I must have this too I But how 
surprisingly like the one I have just finished, only in a dif- 
ferent direction." Again we were greeted with shouts and 
laughter ; it was the same spot which we had passed not 
an hour before, and, having taken a circuit of nearly four 
miles, we had returned to find that we had made an actual 
progress of only the width of the bank on which the trees 
and wigwams stood. Decidedly not very encouraging to 
an impatient traveller. 

We reached Lake Puckaway late in the evening of our 

* Father ! How do you do ? 



BUTTE DES MORTS—LAKE PUCKA WAT. 65 

second day from Butte des Morts. Here lived a white man 
named Gleason, the same concerning whom, owing to his 
vast powers of exaggeration, poor Hooe was fond of utter- 
ing his little pun, "All is not gold that Gleasons." We did 
not seek shelter at his house, for, late as the season was, 
we found the shore so infested with musquitoes that we 
were glad to choose a spot as far as possible from the 
bank, and make ourselves comfortable in our boat. 

This lake has its name from the long flags or rushes 
which are found in its waters in great abundance, and of 
which the squaws manufacture the coarse matting used in 
covering their wigwams. Their mode of fabricating this 
is very primitive and simple. Seated on the ground, with 
the rashes laid side by side, and fastened at each ex- 
tremity, they pass their shuttle, a long flat needle made of 
bone, to which is attached a piece of cordage formed of 
the bark of a tree, through each rush, thus confining it 
very closely, and making a fine substantial mat. These 
mats are seldom more than five or six feet in length, as a 
greater size would be inconvenient in adjusting and pre- 
paring the lodges. 

It is a species of labor usually assigned to the elder 
women of the family. When they become broken down and 
worn out with exposure and hardship, so that they cannot 
cut down trees, hoe corn, or carry heavy burdens, they are 
set to weaving mats, taking care of the children, and disci- 
plining the dogs, with which every Indian lodge abounds. 

Lac de Boeuf, or Buffalo Lake, into which our course 
next brought us, is a lovely sheet of water. In some 
places its banks are exceedingly picturesque, with beau- 
tiful headlands jutting out into the clear depths, where 
they, and the magnificent groups of trees which crown 
them, lie reflected as in a mirror. Now and then we 
would catch a glimpse of deer darting across the glades 

6* 



66 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

which at intervals opened through the woodlands, or a 
pair of sand-hill cranes would rise, slowly flapping their 
wings, and seek a place of more undisturbed repose. The 
flocks of teal now skimming the surface of the water, now 
rising higher towards the shelter of the forests, tempted our 
sportsman sorely ; but, as there was little prospect of finding 
his game when it was brought down, he did not give way 
to the wanton pleasure of shooting merely to destroy life. 

In quitting this charming lake, and again entering the 
narrow, tortuous course of the river, we bade adieu to every- 
thing like scenery, until we should reach our journey's end. 

We had now seventy miles to pass through a country 
perfectly monotonous and uninteresting, the distastefulness 
of which was aggravated by the knowledge that we could, 
had we been provided with horses or a carriage of any 
kind, have crossed over to the Portage from Gleason's, 
through a pleasant country, in little more than three hours. 
Even our great resource, the cheering, animating songs 
of our voyageurs, was out of the question ; for the river, 
though deep, is so narrow that, in many places, there is no 
room for the regular play of the oars ; and the voices of 
Frenchmen can never " keep tune" unless their oars can 
" keep time." Lapierre, one of our men, did his best with 
a paddle, or, as he called it, the " little row^ but it was to 
no purpose — it would not go. Besides this, the wild rice 
abounds to such an extent in many places, that it almost 
completely obstructs the progress of even a moderate-sized 
boat, so that a passage through its tangled masses is with 
diflBculty forced by the oars. Tedious and monotonous as 
was the whole course of the two following days, the 
climax of impatience and discouragement was not reached 
until we arrived in sight of the white walls of Fort Win- 
nebago, looking down from a rising ground upon the vast 
expanse of low land through which the river winds. 



BUTTE DBS MORTS—LAKE PUCKA WAY. 6t 

The Indians have a tradition that a vast serpent once 
lived in the waters of the Mississippi, and that, taking a 
freak to visit the Great Lakes, he left his trail through the 
prairies, which, collecting the waters from the meadows 
and the rains of heaven as they fell, at length became the 
Fox River. 

The little lakes along its course were probably the spots 
where he flourished about in his uneasy slumbers at night. 
He must have played all the antics of a kitten in the neigh- 
borhood of the Portage. When the fort was first pointed 
out to me, I exclaimed, with delight, " Oh, we shall be 
there in half an hour 1" 

" Not quite so soon," said my husband, smiling. "Wait 
and see." We sat and watched. We seemed approaching 
the very spot where we were to disembark. We could 
distinguish the officers and a lady on the bank waiting to 
receive us. Now we were turning our backs on them, and 
shooting out into the prairie again. Anon we approached 
another bank, on which was a range of comfortable-looking 
log houses. "That's the Agency," said my husband; 
"the largest house belongs to Paquette, the interpreter, 
and the others are the dwellings of our Frenchmen. The 
little building, just at the foot of the hill, is the blacksmith's 
shop, kept there by the Government, that the Indians may 
have their guns and traps mended free of expense." 

" But are we going to stop there ?" 

" No ; do you not see we are going back to the fort V' 

And, to be sure, our course had now turned, and we 
were setting in our first direction. In this manner, after 
tacking to the right and left and putting backwards and 
forwards during the greater part of two hours, we at 
length reached the little landing, on which the assembled 
party stood ready to greet us. 



68 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 



CHAPTER VIII 

FORT WINNEBAGO. 

Major and Mrs. Twiggs, aud a few of the younger 
officers (for nearly all of the older ones were absent), with 
our brother Robert, or, as he is called throughout all the 
Indian tribes, "Bob," gave us a cordial welcome — how 
cordial those alone can know who have come, like us, to a 
remote, isolated home in the wilderness. The Major in- 
sisted on our taking possession at once of vacant quarters 
in the fort, instead of at "the Agency," as had been pro- 
posed. 

"No — we must be under the same roof with them. 
Mrs. Twiggs had been without a companion of her own 
sex for more than four months, and would certainly not 
hear of a separation now. But we must be their guests 
until the arrival of the boats containing our furniture," 
which, under the care of our old acquaintance, Hamilton 
Arndt, was making its way slowly up from Green Bay. 

A dinner had been prepared for us. This is one of the 
advantages of the zigzag approach by the Fox River — 
travellers never take their friends by surprise; and when 
the whole circle sat down to the hospitable board, we were 
indeed a merry company. 

After dinner Mrs. Twiggs showed me the quarters 
assigned to us, on the opposite side of the spacious hall. 
They consisted of two large rooms on each of the three 
floors or stories of the building. On the ground-floor the 
front room was vacant. The one in the rear was to be 
the sleeping-apartment, as was evident from a huge, un- 



FORT WINNEBAOO. 69 

wieldy bedstead, of proportions amply sufficient to have 
accommodated Og, the King of Bashan, with Mrs. Og and 
the children into the bargain. We could not repress our 
laughter ; but the bedstead was nothing to another struc- 
ture which occupied a second corner of the apartment. 

This edifice had been built under the immediate superin- 
tendence of one of our young lieutenants, and it was plain 
to be seen that upon it both he and the soldiers who fabri- 
cated it had exhausted all their architectural skill. The 
timbers of which it was composed had been grooved and 
carved ; the pillars that supported the front swelled in and 
out in a most fanciful manner ; the doors were not only 
panelled, but radiated in a way to excite the admiration of 
all unsophisticated eyes. A similar piece of workmanship 
had been erected in each set of quarters, to supply the de- 
ficiency of closets, an inconvenience which had never oc- 
curred, until too late, to the bachelors who planned them. 
The three apartments of which each structure was com- 
posed, were unquestionably designed for clothes-press, 
store-room, and china-closet; such, at least, were the uses 
to which Mrs. Twiggs had appropriated the one assigned 
to her. There was this slight difficulty, that in the latter 
the shelves were too close to admit of setting in even a 
gravy-boat, but they made up in number what was wanting 
in space. We christened the whole affair, in honor of its 
projector, a " Davis," thus placing the first laurel on the 
brow of one who was afterwards to signalize himself in 
Cabinet making of quite a different character. 

The bold promontory on which Fort Winnebago was 
built looked down upon the extended prairie and the Fox 
River on one side, and on the other stretched away into 
the thickly- wooded ridge that led off to Belle Fontaine and 
Lake Puckaway. 

Id front lay an extent of meadow, across which was the 



70 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Portage road, of about two miles in length, leading be- 
tween the Fox and the Wisconsin Rivers. Teams of oxen 
and a driver were kept at the Agency by the Govern- 
ment, to transport the canoes of the Indians across this 
place, which at many seasons was wet, miry, and almost 
impassable. 

The woods were now brilliant with the many tints of 
autumn, and the scene around was further enlivened by 
groups of Indians, in all directions, and their lodges, which 
were scattered here and there, in the vicinity of the Agency 
buildings. On the low grounds might be seen the white 
tents of the traders, already prepared to furnish winter 
supplies to the Indians, in exchange for the annuity money 
they were about to receive. 

A great concourse had been for many days assembling 
in anticipation of the payment, which was expected to 
take place as soon as Shaw-nee-aw-kee should arrive with 
the silver. 

Preparatory to this event, the great chief of the nation, 
Pour-Legs, whose village we had passed at the entrance 
to Winnebago Lake, had thought proper to take a little 
carouse, as is too apt to be the custom when the savages 
come into the neighborhood of a sutler's establishment. 
In the present instance, the facilities for a season of intox- 
ication had been augmented by the presence on the ground 
of some traders, too regardless of the very stringent laws 
prohibiting the sale of liquor to the Indians. 

Poor Four-Legs could not stand this full tide of pros- 
perity. Unchecked by the presence of his Father, the 
agent, he carried his indulgence to such excess that he 
fell a victim in the course of a few days. His funeral had 
been celebrated with unusual pomp the day before our 
arrival, and great was my disappointment at finding my- 
self too late to witness all the ceremonies. 



FORT WINNEBAGO. Tl 

His body, according to their custom, having been wrapped 
in a blanket, and placed in a rude coffin, along with his 
guns, tomahawk, pipes, and a quantity of tobacco, had 
been carried to the most elevated point of the hill opposite 
the fort, followed by an immense procession of his people, 
whooping, beating their drums, howling, and making 
altogether what is emphatically termed a '' pow-wow^^ 

After the interment of the body, a stake was planted at 
its head, on which was painted in vermilion a series of 
hieroglyphics, descriptive of the great deeds and events 
of his life The whole was then surrounded with pickets 
of the trunks of the tamarack-trees, and hither the friends 
would come for many successive days to renew the expres- 
sion of their grief, and to throw over the grave tobacco 
and other offerings to the Great Spirit. 

It was a consolation to find that, although delayed, we 
were yet in time to furnish a quantity of white cotton for 
a flag to wave over the grave, and also to pay a consider- 
able bill at the sutler's for the different articles that had 
been found necessary for the funeral parade — it being 
a duty expected of their Father to bury the dead suitably. 

The funeral observances in honor of the chief had not 
yet ceased. Throughout the day, and all that night, the 
sound of instruments, mingled with doleful lamentations, 
and with the discordant whoops and yells of those in a 
partial state of intoxication, filled the air, and disturbed 
our repose. To these were added occasionally the plain- 
tive sounds of the Indian flute, upon which the young 
savage plays when he is in love. Grief and whiskey had 
made their hearts tender, and the woods resounded to 
their melancholy strains. 

Early the following morning, before I left my room, I 
was startled by the sounds of lamentation and woe pro- 
ceeding from the adjoining apartment. On entering it, I 



72 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

found several squaws seated oa the floor, with downcast 
looks expressive of condolence and sympathy, while in 
their midst sat a little ugly woman, in tattered garments, 
with blackened face and dishevelled hair, sobbing and 
wailing bitterly. 

Not doubting they were the family of the deceased 
chief, I was quite troubled at my inability to express, 
otherwise than by gestures, my participation in their 
sorrows. 

Unacquainted as I was with their customs, I took it for 
granted from their wretched appearance that poverty and 
destitution formed one of the sources of their affliction. 
One of the party, at least, seemed in the very depths of 
misery. " Can it be possible," said I to myself, " that 
this poor creature has only these scanty rags to cover 
her?" 

Stepping back to my own room, I brought out a pretty 
calico wrapper, which I presented to the little, dirty, 
blackened object. She took it, and commenced a fresh 
series of sobbing and sighing. I made signs to her to put 
it on, opening it and explaining to her how it was to be 
worn, and recommending to her, by gestures, to lose no 
time in making herself more comfortable. 

At this, the other women burst into a laugh. 

" Very mal-a-propos," thought I, " and somewhat un- 
feeling." At that moment my husband, entering, explained 
to me that the chief mourner was Madame Four-Legs, the 
widow ; that she had undoubtedly a comfortable wardrobe 
at home, but that it was part of the etiquette of mourning 
to go for a season with neglected persons and blackened 
faces. All this was told me in the intervals of shaking 
hands, and offering and receiving condolences in the most 
uncouth, guttural language I had ever heard. Their 
Father at length dismissed them, with a promise of some 



FORT WINNEBAGO. 73 

presents to help dry up their tears. It must not be 
inferred that ttie grief of the poor little widow was not 
sincere. On the contrary, she was greatly attached to her 
husband, and had had great influence not only with him 
but with the nation at large. She was a Fox woman, and 
spoke the Chippewa, which is the court language among 
all the tribes, so that she was often called upon to act as 
interpreter, and had, in fact, been in the habit of accom- 
panying her husband, and assisting him by her counsels 
upon all occasions. She was a person of great shrewd- 
ness and judgment, and, as I afterwards experienced, of 
strong and tenacious affections. 

After breakfast I received a visit from the principal 
chiefs, who had put on their best of apparel and paint to 
receive their new mother. 

There was Naw-kaw, or Kar-ray-mau-nee, " the Walk- 
ing Turtle," now the principal chief of the nation, a stal- 
wart Indian, with a broad, pleasant countenance, the great 
peculiarity of which was an immense under lip, hanging 
nearly to his chin. There was the old Day-kau-ray, the 
most noble, dignified, and venerable of his own, or indeed 
of any tribe. His fine Roman countenance, rendered still 
more striking by his bald head, with one solitary tuft 
of long silvery hair neatly tied and falling back on his 
shoulders; his perfectly neat, appropriate dress, almost 
without ornament, and his courteous demeanor, never laid 
aside under any circumstances, all combined to give him 
the highest place in the consideration of all who knew 
him. It will hereafter be seen that his traits of character 
were not less grand and striking than were his personal 
appearance and deportment. 

There was Black- Wolf, whose lowering, surly face was 
well described by his name. The fierce expression of his 
countenance was greatly heightened by the masses of 

7 



74 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

heavy black hair hanging round it, quite contrary to the 
usual fashion among the Winnebagoes. They, for the 
most part, remove a portion of their hair, the remainder 
of which is drawn to the back of the head, clubbed and 
ornamented with beads, ribbons, cock^s feathers, or, if they 
are so entitled, an eagle's feather for every scalp taken 
from an enemy. 

There was Talk-English, a remarkably handsome, 
powerful young Indian, who received his name in the 
following manner. He was one of a party of sixteen 
Winnebagoes who had, by invitation, accompanied their 
Agent and Major Forsyth (or the Chippewa, as he was 
called) on a visit to the President at Washington, the 
year previous. 

On the journey, the question naturally addressed to 
them by people not familiar with Western Indians was, — 

"Do you talk English?" 

The young fellow, being very observant, came to his 
Father. " What do they mean by this ? Everybody says 
to me, talk English P^ 

The Agent interpreted the words to him. " Ah, very 
well." 

The next place they arrived at was Lockport, in the 
State of New York. Jumping off the canal-boat upon the 
lock, he ran up to the first man he met, and, thrusting for- 
ward his face, cried out, " Talk Eengeesh ?" 

" Yes," said the man ; " do you talk English ?" 

"Ya-as." 

From that time forward he always bore the name of 
Talk-English, and was registered on the pay-rolls by a 
title of which he was not a little proud. 

Hoo-wau-nee-kah, " the Little Elk," was another of the 
distinguished men of the tribe. He had likewise been at 
Washington. Henry Clay, when he visited them, after 



FORT WINNEBAGO. 75 

looking carefully at the countenances and bearing of all 
the members of the deputation, had indicated him as the 
one possessing the greatest talent; and he was greatly 
pleased when informed that he was the principal orator of 
the nation, and decidedly superior in abilities to any other 
individual of the tribe. 

Wild-Cat, our Indian Falstaff in all save the cowardice 
and falsehood, I have already mentioned. 

Then there was Kau-ray-kaw-saw-kaw, "the White 
Crow," a Rock River Indian, who afterwards distin- 
guished himself as the friend of the whites during the 
Sauk war. He was called by the French " le Borgne," 
from having lost an eye ; and the black silk handkerchief 
which he wore drooping over the left side of his face to 
disguise the blemish, taken with his native costume, gave 
him a very singular appearance. 

There was a nephew of the defunct chief Four-Legs, to 
whom with justice was given, by both whites and Indians, 
the appellation of ''the Dandy," When out of mourning 
his dress was of the most studied and fanciful character. 
A shirt (when he condescended to wear any) of the 
brightest colors, ornamented with innumerable rows of 
silver brooches set thickly together ; never less than two 
pairs of silver arm-bands ; leggings and moccasins of the 
most elaborate embroidery in ribbons and porcupine-quills; 
everything that he could devise in the shape of ornament 
hanging to his club of hair behind ; a feather fan in one 
hand, and in the other a mirror, in which he contemplated 
himself every five minutes ; these, with the variety and 
brilliancy of the colors upon his face, the suitable choice 
and application of which occupied no small portion of the 
hours allotted to his toilet, made up the equipment of 
young Four-Legs. 

This devotion to dress and appearance seemed not 



76 THE EARLY DAY 'IN THE NORTHWEST, 

altogether out of place in a youthful dandy ; but we had 
likewise an old one of the same stamp. Pawnee Blanc, 
or the White Pawnee, surpassed his younger competitor, 
if possible, in attention to his personal attractions. 

Upon the present occasion he appeared in all his finery, 
and went through the customary salutations with an air 
of solemn dignity, then walked, as did the others, into the 
parlor (for I had received them in the hall), where they 
all seated themselves upon the floor. Fortunately, the 
room was now bare of furniture, but " alas !" thought I, 
" for my pretty carpet, if this is to be the way they pay 
their respects to me !" 1 watched the falling of the ashes 
from their long pipes, and the other inconveniences of the 
use of tobacco, or kin-ni-kin-nick, with absolute dismay. 

The visit of the chiefs was succeeded by one from the 
interpreter and his wife, with all the Canadian and half- 
breed women, whose husbands found employment at the 
Agency or at the American Fur Company's establishment. 

By this time my piano had been taken from its case and 
set up in our quarters. To our great joy, we found it 
entirely uninjured. Thanks to the skill of Nunns and 
Clark, not a note was out of tune. 

The women, to whom it was an entire novelty, were 
loud in their exclamations of wonder and delight. 

'^ Eh-h-h! regardez done ! Quelles inventions ! Quelles 
merveilles .'"* 

One, observing the play of my fingers reflected in the 
nameboard, called in great exultation to her companions. 
She had discovered, as she thought, the hidden machinery 
by which the sounds were produced, and was not a little 
mortified when she was undeceived. 



* Only look ! what inventions ! what wonders 1 



HOUSEKEEPING. tt 



CHAPTER IX. 



HOUSEKEEPING. 



As the boats might be expected in a few days, it was 
thought best to begin at once what preparations were in 
my power towards housekeeping. These were simply 
the fitting and sewing of my carpets, in which I was 
kindly assisted by Mrs. Twiggs ; and, the wife of one of 
our Frenchmen having come over from the Agency and 
made everything tidy and comfortable, the carpets were 
soon tacked down, and the rooms were ready for the 
reception of the rest of the furniture. 

I had made many fruitless attempts, both in Detroit 
and Green Bay, to procure a servant-woman to accompany 
me to my new home. Sometimes one would present her- 
self, but, before we could come to a final agreement, the 
thoughts of the distance, of the savages, the hardships of 
the journey, or, perhaps, the objections of friends, would 
interfere to break off the negotiation ; so that I had at 
length been obliged to rest satisfied with the simple hope 
held out by my husband, that one of his French employes, 
with his wife, would be contented to take up their abode 
with us. 

In this state of things, all difficulties seemed to be 
obviated by the proposal of Major Twiggs, that we should 
take into our service a young colored girl whom he had 
brought from Buffalo, in the spring, to wait on Mrs. T. 
until her own servants should arrive from the South. 

Louisa was accordingly sent for, an uncommonly hand- 
some young negress, with an intelligent but very demure 

7* 



78 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

countenance, who called herself fifteen years of age, but 
who, from the progress in vice and iniquity I afterwards 
discovered her to have made, must have been at least sev- 
eral years older. Be that as it may, she now seemed to 
have no fault but carelessness and inexperience, both of 
which I had great hopes she would get the better of, 
under careful training. 

My first week's visit with Mrs. Twiggs had just expired 
when word was given that the boats were in sight — the 
boats that contained our furniture — and the expected ar- 
rival of Louis Philippe to visit Queen Victoria could 
scarcely have created a more universal sensation, than did 
this announcement in our little community. Although we 
knew that some hours must yet elapse before they could 
reach the spot for disembarkation, we were constantly on 
the watch, and at length all the young officers, followed 
by as many of the soldiers as were off duty, accompanied 
Mr. Kinzie down the bank to the landing, to witness and, 
if necessary, to assist in helping everything safe to land. 

Sad was the plight in which matters were found. The 
water poured out of the corners of the boxes as they were 
successively hoisted on shore. Too impatient to wait until 
they could be carried up to the fort, the gentlemen soon 
furnished themselves with hammers and hatchets, and fell 
eagerly to work, opening the boxes to explore the extent 
of the damage. Alas for the mahogany I not a piece from 
which the edges and veneering were not starting. It had 
all the appearance of having lain under the Grande Chute 
for days. Poor Hamilton was loud in his protestations 
and excuses. 

It was the fault of the men, of the weather, of the way 
the things were packed. " Confound it I he had taken the 
best care of the things he possibly could — better than he 
had ever taken before — it would get done 1" 



HOUSEKEEPINO. 79 

There was nothing but to be patient and make the best 
of it. And when the pretty sideboard and work-table had 
been thoroughly rubbed and set up, and all the little knick- 
knacks arranged on the mantel-piece — when the white cur- 
tains were hung at the windows, and the chairs and dining- 
table each in its proper place in relation to the piano, our 
parlor was pronounced " magnificent." At least so seemed 
to think Hamilton, who came to give one admiring look, 
and to hear the music of the piano, which was a perfect 
novelty to him. His description of it to the young officers, 
after his return to the Bay, was expressive of his admira- 
tion and wonder — " There it stood on its four legs I Any- 
body might go up and touch it 1" 

In due time the dinner- and tea-sets were carefully be- 
stowed in the '* Davis," together with sundry jars of sweet- 
meats that I had prepared in Detroit ; the iron and tin 
utensils were placed in a neat cupboard in the kitchen, of 
which my piano-box supplied the frame ; the barrel of eggs 
and tubs of butter, brought all the way from Ohio, were 
ranged in the store-room ; a suitable quantity of salt pork 
and flour was purchased from the commissary ; and, there 
being no lack of game of every description, the offering 
of our red children, we were ready to commence house- 
keeping. 

The first dinner in her own home is an era in the life of 
a young housekeeper. I shall certainly never forget mine. 
While I was in the lower regions superintending my very 
inexpert little cook, my husband made his appearance, to 
say that, as the payment (then the all-absorbing topic of 
interest) would not commence until afternoon, he had in- 
vited M. Rolette, Mr. Hempstead, and four other gentle- 
men to dine with us. 

" So unexpected — so unprepared for ?" 

"Never mind; give them anything you have. They 



80 THE EARLY DAY TN THE NORTHWEST. 

have been living for some days in tents, and anything will 
taste well to them." 

My dinner had been intended to consist chiefly of a veni- 
son pasty, and fortunately the only dish among my store 
was of very large proportions, so that there was already 
smoking in the oven a pie of a size nearly equal to the 
famous Norwich pudding; thus, with some trifling ad- 
ditions to the bill of fare, we made out very well, and the 
master of the house had the satisfaction of hearing the 
impromptu dinner very much commended by his six guests. 



CHAPTER X. 

INDIAN PAYMENT — MRS. WASHINGTON. 

There were two divisions of the Winnebago Indians, 
one of which was paid by the Agent, at the Portage, the 
other at Prairie du Chien, by General Street. The first, 
between four and five thousand in number, received, accord- 
ing to treaty stipulations, fifteen thousand dollars annually, 
besides a considerable amount of presents, and a certain 
number of rations of bread and pork, to be issued in times 
of emergency throughout the year. 

The principal villages of this division of the tribe were 
at Lake Winnebago, Green and Fox Lakes, the Barribault, 
Mud Lake, the Four Lakes, Kosh-ko-nong, and Turtle 
Creek. Messengers were dispatched, at or before the 
arrival of the annuity-money, to all the different villages, 
to notify the heads of families or lodges to assemble at 
"the Portage." 

When arrived, the masters of families, under their dif- 



INDIAN PAYMENT— MRS. WASHINGTON. 81 

ferent chiefs, give in their names, and the number in their 
lodges, to be registered. As, in paying, a certain sum of 
money is apportioned to each individual, it is, of course, 
an object to the head of a lodge to make the number 
registered as great as possible. Each one brings his little 
bundle of sticks, and presents it to the Agent to register. 
Sometimes a dialogue like the following occurs : 

" How many have you in your lodge ?" 

The Indian carefully, and with great ceremony, counts 
his bundle of sticks — ** Fifteen." 

" How many men ?" 

" Two." The Agent lays aside two sticks. 

" How many women ?" 

" Three." Three more sticks are separated. 

" How many children ?" 

" Eight." Eight sticks are added to the heap. 

" What is the meaning of these two sticks that re- 
main ?" 

The culprit, whose arithmetic has not served him to 
carry out his deception, disappears amid the shouts and 
jeers of his companions, who are always well pleased at 
the detection of any roguery in which they have had no 
share. 

The young officers generally assisted in counting out 
and delivering the money at these payments, and it was 
no unusual thing, as the last band came up, for the chiefs 
to take a quantity of silver out of the box and request 
their Father to pay his friends for their trouble, seeming 
really disturbed at his refusal. In this, as in almost every 
instance, we see the native courtesy and politeness, which 
are never lost sight of among them. If a party comes 
to their Father to beg for provisions, and food is offered 
them, however hungry they may be, each waits patiently 
until one of the company makes an equal distribution of 



82 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

the whole, and then, taking his share, eats it quietly, with 
the greatest moderation. I never saw this rule violated, 
save in one instance. 

Our friend, Pawnee Blanc, the Old Dandy, once came 
with a party of Indians, requesting permission to dance 
for us in the open space before the door. It was a warm, 
dusty afternoon, and as our friends grew heated and 
fatigued with the violent and long-continued exercise, a 
pitcher of raspberry negus was prepared and sent out to 
them. Pawnee received the pitcher and tumbler, and, 
pouring the latter about half full, gave it to the first of 
the circle, then filled the same for the next, and so on, 
until it suddenly occurred to him to look into the pitcher. 
What he saw there determined his course of action ; so, 
setting the tumbler upon the ground, he raised the pitcher 
with both hands to his lips and gave a hearty pull, after 
which he went on, giving less and less, until he was 
called to have the pitcher replenished. All present agreed 
it was the only instance they had ever witnessed, of an 
Indian's appearing afraid of getting less of a thing than 
his share. 

During the payment a good many kegs of whiskey find 
their way into the lodges of the Indians, notwithstanding 
the watchfulness of both officers and Agent. Where there 
is a demand there will always be a supply, let the legal 
prohibitions be what they may. The last day of the pay- 
ment is, invariably, one of general carousing. 

When the men begin i\iQ\v frolic, the women carefully 
gather all the guns, knives, tomahawks, and weapons of 
every description, and secrete them, that as little mischief 
as possible may be done in the absence of all restraint 
and reason. I am sorry to record that our little friend, 
Pawnee Blanc, was greatly addicted to the pleasures of 
the bottle. 



INDIAN PAYMENT—MRS. WASHINGTON. 83 

Among the presents for the chiefs, which Shaw-nee-aw- 
kee had brought from the East, was a trunk of blue cloth 
coats, trimmed with broad gold lace, and a box of round 
black hats, ornamented in a similar manner. All who are 
familiar with Indians, of whatever tribe, will have ob- 
served that their first step towards civilization, whether in 
man or woman, is mounting a man's hat, decorated with 
tinsel, ribbons, or feathers. Pawnee was among the happy- 
number remembered in the distribution ; so, donning at 
once his new costume, and tying a few additional bunches 
of gaj-colored ribbons to a long spear, that was always his 
baton of ceremony, he came at once, followed by an ad- 
miring train, chiefly of women, to pay me a visit of state. 

The solemn gravity of his countenance, as he motioned 
away those who would approach too near and finger his 
newly-received finery — the dignity with which he strutted 
along, edging this way and that to avoid any possible con- 
tact from homely, every-day wardrobes — augured well for 
a continuance of propriety and self-respect, and a due con- 
sideration of the good opinion of all around. But, alas 
for Pawnee I late in the day we saw him assisted towards 
his lodge by two stout young Indians, who had pulled 
him out of a ditch, his fine coat covered with mud, his hat 
battered and bruised, his spear shorn of its gay streamers, 
and poor Pawnee himself weeping and uttering all the 
doleful lamentations of a tipsy Indian. 



Among the women with whom I early made acquaint- 
ance was the wife of Wau-kaun-zee-kah, the Yellow Thun- 
der. She had accompanied her husband, who was one of 
the deputation to visit the President, and from that time 
forth she had been known as "the Washington woman." 
She had a pleasant, old-acquaintance sort of air in greet- 



84 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

ing me, as much as to say, " You and I have seen some- 
thing of the world." No expression of surprise or admi- 
ration escaped her lips, as her companions, with childlike, 
laughing simplicity, exclaimed and clapped their hands at 
the different wonderful objects I showed them. Her de- 
portment said plainly, " Yes, yes, my children, I have seen 
all these things before." It was not until I put to her ear 
a tropical shell, of which I had a little cabinet, and she 
heard its murmuring sound, that she laid aside her apathy 
of manner. She poked her finger into the opening to 
get at the animal within, shook it violently, then raised it 
to her ear again, and finally burst into a hearty laugh, and 
laid it down, acknowledging, by her looks, that this was 
beyond her comprehension. 

I had one shell of peculiar beauty — my favorite in the 
whole collection — a small conch, covered with rich, dark 
veins. Each of the visitors successively took up this shell, 
and by words and gestures expressed her admiration, evi- 
dently showing that she had an eye for beauty — this was 
on the occasion of the parting visit of my red daughters. 

Shortly after the payment had been completed, and the 
Indians had left, I discovered that my valued shell was 
missing from the collection. Could it be that one of the 
squaws had stolen it ? It was possible — they would oc- 
casionally, though rarely, do such things under the in- 
fluence of strong temptation. I tried to recollect which, 
among the party, looked most likely to have been the cul- 
prit. It could not have been the Washington woman — 
she was partly civilized, and knew better. 

A few weeks afterwards Mrs. Yellow Thunder again 
made her appearance, and carefully unfolding a gay-colored 
chintz shawl, which she carried rolled up in her hand, she 
produced the shell, and laid it on the table before me. I 
did not know whether to show, by my countenance, dis- 



INDIAN PAYMENT—MRS. WASHINGTON. 85 

pleasure at the trick she had played me, or joy at receiving 
my treasure back again, but at length decided that it was 
the best policy to manifest no emotion whatever. 

She prolonged her visit until my husband's return, and 
he then questioned her about the matter. 

" She had taken the shell to her village, to show to some 
of her people, who did not come to the payment." 

" Why had she not asked her mother's leave before car- 
rying it away ?" 

" Because she saw that her mother liked the shell, and 
she was afraid she would say, No.'-' 

This was not the first instance in which Madame Wash- 
ington had displayed the shrewdness which was a pre- 
dominant trait in her character. During the visit of the 
Indians to the Eastern cities, they were taken to various 
exhibitions, museums, menageries, theatres, etc. It did 
not escape their observation that some silver was always 
paid before entrance, and they inquired the reason. It 
was explained to them. The woman brightened up, as if 
struck with an idea. 

'' How much do you pay for each one ?" 

Her Father told her. 

" How do you say that in English ?" 

" Two shillings." 

" Two shinnin — humph " (good). 

The next day, when, as usual, visitors began to flock to 
the rooms where the Indians were sojourning, the woman 
and a young Indian, her confederate, took their station by 
the door, which they kept closed. When any one knocked, 
the door was cautiously opened, and the woman, extending 
her hand, exclaimed — " Two shinnin." 

This was readily paid in each instance, and the game 
went on, until she had accumulated a considerable sum. 
But this did not satisfy her. At the first attempt of a 

8 



86 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

visitor to leave the room, the door was held close, as before, 
the hand was extended, and " Two shinnin" again met 
his ear. He tried to explain that, having paid for his en- 
trance, he must go out free. With an innocent shake of 
the head, ''Two shinnin," was all the English she could 
understand. 

The Agent, who had entered a short time before, and 
who, overhearing the dialogue, sat laughing behind his 
newspaper, waiting to see how it would all end, now came 
forward and interfered, and the guests were permitted to 
go forth without a further contribution. 

The good woman was moreover admonished that it was 
far from the custom of white people to tax their friends 
and visitors in this manner, and that the practice must be 
laid aside in future. 

Another instance of the disposition of the Indians to 
avail themselves of all the goods that fortune throws in 
their way, was the following : 

Upon the same trip, while passing through Ohio, one of 
the party inquired of the Agent, — 

" Do you pay for all those provisions that are set before 
us at the hotels ?" 

" Yes. Why do you ask ?" 

"Nothing: I thought you perhaps paid for just what 
we ate of them." 

At the next stopping-place a fine breakfast was set upon 
the table, of which, as usual, they partook plentifully. 
Just as they had finished, the horn sounded for all to take 
their places in the stage-coaches. Each sprang to his feet. 
One seized the plates of biscuits and poured them into the 
corner of his blanket ; another the remains of a pair of 
chickens ; a third emptied the sugar-bowls ; each laid hold 
of what was nearest him, and in a trice nothing was left 
upon the table but the empty plates and dishes. The land- 



INDIAN PAYMENT— MRS. WASHINGTON 87 

lord and waiters, meanwhile, stood laughing and enjoying 
the trick as much as any of the spectators. 

Upon another occasion, their Father had endeavored 
to impress upon them the unseemliness of throwing their 
refuse pieces, bones, and fragments of food about on the 
table-cloth, pointing out to them the orderly manner of the 
whites at table, and the propriety of keeping everything 
neat and nice around them. 

At their next meal, they were served first with a chicken- 
pie, of which they ate very heartily, and the accumulation 
of bones on their plates was very abundant. Presently 
another and more favorite dish appeared, — a fine, large, 
roasted turkey. A gentleman sat near, and was evidently 
preparing to carve it. No time was to be lost. What was 
to be done with the bones ? They looked around in some 
perplexity. A large apple-pie was standing near. The 
most eager drew it towards him, and quick as thought all 
the bones were deposited upon it, while, with a triumphant 
laugh at the happy idea, he coolly transferred the bird to 
his own dish, and proceeded to distribute it among his 
companions. The amazed stranger soon joined in the 
laugh at the unceremonious manner in which his share of 
the dinner had vanished. 



88 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST, 



CHAPTER XL 

LOUISA — DAY-KAU-RAY ON EDUCATION. 

The payment was now over, and the Indians had dis- 
persed and gone to their wintering grounds. The traders, 
too, had departed, laden with a good share of the silver, in 
exchange for which each family had provided itself, as far 
as possible, with clothing, guns, traps, ammunition, and 
the other necessaries for their winter use. The Indians 
are good at a bargain. They are not easily overreached. 
On the contrary, they understand at once when a charge 
is exorbitant ; and a trader who tries his shrewdness upon 
them is sure to receive an expressive sobriquet, which ever 
after clings to him. 

For instance, M. Rolette was called by them "Ah-kay- 
zaup-ee-tah,"^t)e more — because, as they said, let them 
offer what number of skins they might, in bartering for an 
article, his terms were invariably "five more." 

Upon one occasion a lady remarked to him, '' Oh, M. 
Rolette, I would not be engaged in the Indian trade ; it 
seems to me a system of cheating the poor Indians." 

" Let me tell you, madame," replied he, with great 
naivete, " it is not so easy a thing to cheat the Indians as 
you imagine. I have tried it these twenty years, and have 
never succeeded 1" 



We were now settled down to a quiet, domestic life. The 
military system under which everything was conducted — 
the bugle-call, followed by the music of a very good band, 



LOUISA— DAY-KAU-RAY ON EDUCATION. 89 

at reveille ; the light, animated strains for "sick-call," and 
soon after for " breakfast;" the longer ceremony of "guard- 
mounting ;" the "Old English Roast-Beef," to announce 
the dinner-hour; the sweet, plaintive strains of "Lochaber 
no more," followed most incongruously by " The Little 
Cock-Sparrow," at retreat; and, finally, the long, rolling 
" tattoo," late in the evening — made pleasant divisions of 
our time, which, by the aid of books, music, and drawing, 
in addition to household occupations, seemed to fly more 
swiftly than ever before. It was on Sunday that I most 
missed my Eastern home. I had planned beforehand what 
we should do on the first recurrence of this sacred day, 
under our own roof. " We shall have at least," said I to 
myself, "the Sabbath's quiet and repose, and 1 can, among 
other things, benefit poor Louisa by giving her some addi- 
tional lessons of a serious character." 

So, while she was removing the breakfast-things, I said 
to her, — 

" Now, Louisa, get your work all finished, and every- 
thing put neatly aside, and then come here to me again." 

" Yes, ma'am." 

We sat down to our books, and read and waited ; we 
waited and read another hour — no Louisa. 

There was music and the sound of voices on the parade 
in front of our windows, but that did not disturb us ; it 
was what we were daily accustomed to. 

I must go at length, and see what could be keeping my 
damsel so. I descended to the kitchen. The breakfast- 
things stood upon the table — the kettles and spider upon 
the hearth — the fire was out — the kitchen empty. 

Passing back into the hall, which extended the whole 
length of the house and opened in front upon the parade, 
I perceived a group collected in the area, of all shades and 
colors, and in the midst, one round, woolly head which I 

8* 



90 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

could not mistake, bobbing up and down, now on this side, 
now on that, while peals of laughter were issuing from 
the whole group. 

" Louisa," I called, " come here. What are you doing 
there ?" 

" Looking at inspection." 

" But why are not your breakfast-things washed, and 
your kitchen swept? Did I not tell you I wished you to 
come up and learn your lessons ?" 

" Yes, ma'am ; but I had to see inspection first. Every- 
body looks at inspection on Sunday." 

I found it was in vain to expect to do more for Louisa 
than give her an afternoon's lesson, and with that I was 
obliged to content myself. 

I felt that it would be very pleasant, and perhaps profit- 
able, for all the inmates of the garrison to assemble on 
this day ; one of our number might be found who would 
read a portion of the church-service, with a sermon from 
one of our difl"erent selections. 

I approached the subject cautiously, with an inquiry to 
this effect : 

"Are there none among the officers who are religiously 
disposed ?" 

"Oh, yes," replied the one whom I addressed, "there is 
S ; when he is half tipsy, he takes his Bible and 'New- 
ton's Works,' and goes to bed and cries over them ; he 
thinks in this way he is excessively pious." 

S was among the officers who had never called upon 

us ; it was fair to infer that if his religious principles did 
not correct his own evil habits they would not aid much 
in improving others ; therefore it seemed useless to call 
in his co-operation in any scheme for a better observance 
of the Lord's day. 

We had to content ourselves with writing to our friends 



LOUISA—DAY-KAU-RAY ON EDUCATION. 91 

at the East to interest themselves in getting a missionary 
sent to us, who should officiate as chaplain in the garrison 
— a plan that seemed to find favor with the officers. The 
hope of any united religious services was, for the present, 
laid aside. 

The post-surgeon having obtained a furlough, his place 
was supplied by Dr. Newhall, of Galena, and thus, by the 
addition of his gentle, quiet wife, our circle of ladies was 
now enlarged to three. Here we were, in a wilderness, 
but yet how contented and happy I 

A gloom was soon to replace this envied tranquillity in 
our home. A Frenchman, named Letendre, one day 
suddenly presented himself. He had come from Chicago, 
with the distressing intelligence of the extreme — indeed, 
hopeless — illness of our dear relative, Dr. Wolcott. My 
husband immediately commenced his preparations for 
instant departure. I begged to be permitted to accompany 
him, but the rapidity with which he proposed to journey 
obliged him to refuse my entreaties. In a few hours his 
provisions, horses, and all other things necessary for the 
journey were in readiness, and he set ofi" with Petaille 
Grignon, his usual attendant on such expeditions, leaving 
Letendre to follow as soon as recruited from his fatigue. 

Sad and dreary were the hours of his absence, notwith- 
standing the kind efforts of our friends to cheer me. In 
a few days I received the news of the fatal termination 
of Dr. W.'s illness, brought by another messenger. That 
noble heart, so full of warm and kindly affections, had 
ceased to beat, and sad and desolate indeed were those 
who had so loved and honored him. 

As soon as he could possibly leave his family, my hus- 
band returned ; and it was fortunate that he had delayed 
no longer, for the winter now began to set in, and with 
severity. 



92 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Our quarters were spacious, but having been constructed 
of the green trees of the forest, cut down and sawed into 
boards by the hands of the soldiers, they were consider- 
ably given to shrinking and warping, thus leaving many 
a yawning crevice. Stuffing the cracks with cotton bat- 
ting, and pasting strips of paper over them, formed the 
employment of many a leisure hour. 

Then the chimneys, spite of all the currents of air, 
which might have been expected to create a draught, had 
a sad habit of smoking. To remedy this, a couple of 
gun-barrels were, by order of the commanding oflBcer, 
sawed off and inserted in the hearth, one on each side of 
the fire-place, in the hope that the air from the room below 
might help to carry the smoke into its proper place, the 
chimney. 

The next morning after this had been done, Louisa was 
washing the hearth. 

" Pray, ma'am," said she, '' what are these things put 
in here for ?" 

I explained their use. 

'' Oh, I am so glad it is only that 1 Uncle Ephraim 
(Major Twiggs's servant) said they were to be filled with 
powder and fired off Christmas Day, and he was terribly 
afraid they would blow the house up, and we in it." 

Ephraim, who was a most faithful and valuable servant, 
often amused himself with playing upon the credulity of 
the younger portions of the colored fraternity. 

"Is it true," asked Louisa, one day, "that Pillon and 
Plante were once prairie-wolves V 

" Prairie- wolves I what an idea I Why do you ask such 
a foolish question ?" 

" Because Uncle Ephraim says they, and all the French- 
men about here, were once prairie-wolves, and that, living 
80 near the white people, they grow, after a time, to be 



LOUISA— DAY- KAU- RAY ON EDUCATION. 93 

like them, and learn to talk and dress like them. And 
then, when they get to be old, they turn back into prairie- 
wolves again, and that all the wolves that the officers 
bait with their dogs used to be Frenchmen, once." 

After a time, however, I ceased to straighten out these 
stories of Uncle Ephraim, for I was gradually arriving at 
the conviction that my little colored damsel was by no 
means so simple and unsophisticated as she would have 
me believe, and that I was, after all, the one who was 
imposed upon. 

The snow this winter was prodigious, and the cold 
intense. The water would freeze in our parlors at a very 
short distance from the fire, for, although the "fatigue- 
parties" kept the halls filled with wood, almost up to the 
ceiling, that did not counterbalance the inconvenience of 
having the wide doors thrown open to the outer air for a 
great portion of the day, to allow of their bringing it in. 
We Northerners should have had wood-houses specially 
for the purpose, and not only have kept our great hall- 
doors closed, but have likewise protected them with a 
"hurricane-house." But the Florida frontier was not a 
climate in which our Southern bachelors could have ac- 
quired the knowledge available when the thermometer 
was twenty-five degrees below zero — a point at which 
brandy congealed in the sideboard. 

. The arrival of Christmas and New- Year's brought us 
our Indian friends again. They had learned something 
of the observance of these holidays from their French 
neighbors, and I had been forewarned that I should see the 
squaws kissing every white man they met. Although 
not crediting this to its full extent, I could readily believe 
that they would each expect a present, as a " compliment 
of the season," so I duly prepared myself with a supply 
of beads, ribbons, combs, and other trinkets. Knowing 



94 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

them to be fond of dainties, I had also a quantity of crul- 
lers and doughnuts made ready the day before, as a treat 
to them. 

To my great surprise and annoyance, only a moderate 
share of the cakes, the frying of which had been intrusted 
to Louisa, were brought up to be placed in the "■ Davis." 

" Where are the rest of the cakes, Louisa ?" 

" That great fellow, Hancock, came in with the fatigue- 
party to fill the water-barrels, and while I had just stepped 
into the store-room to get some more flour, he carried off 
all I had got cooked." 

And Louisa made a face and whined, as if she had not 
herself treated every soldier who had set his foot in the 
premises. 

At an early hour the next morning I had quite a levee 
of the Ho-tshung-rah matrons. They seated themselves 
in a circle On the floor, and I was sorry to observe that the 
application of a little soap and water to their blankets had 
formed no part of their holiday preparations. There 
being no one to interpret, I thought I would begin the 
conversation in a way intelligible to themselves, so I 
brought out of the sideboard a china dish, filled with the 
nice brown crullers, over which I had grated, according to 
custom, a goodly quantity of white sugar. I handed it 
to the first of the circle. She took the dish from my 
hand, and, deliberately pouring all the cakes into the corner 
of her blanket, returned it to me empty. " She must be a 
most voracious person," thought I; "but I will manage 
better the next time." I refilled the dish, and approached 
the next one, taking care to keep a fast hold of it as I 
offered the contents, of which I supposed she would 
modestly take one. Not so, however. She scooped out 
the whole with her two hands, and, like the former, be- 
stowed them in her blanket. My sense of politeness re- 



LOUISA— DAY-KAU-RAY ON EDUCATION. 95 

volted at handing them out one by one, as we do to chil- 
dren, so 1 sat down to deliberate what was to be done, for 
evidently the supply would not long answer such an ample 
demand, and there would be "more visitors anon. 

While I was thus perplexed, those who had received the 
cakes commenced a distribution, and the whole number 
was equitably divided among the company. But I ob- 
served they did not eat them. They passed their fingers 
over the grated sugar, looked in each other's faces, and 
muttered in low tones — there was evidently something 
they did not understand. Presently one more adventur- 
ous than the rest wet her fingers, and taking up a few 
grains of the sugar put it cautiously to her mouth. 

" Tah-nee-zhoo-rah !" (Sugar !) was her delighted ex- 
clamation, and they all broke out into a hearty laugh. It 
is needless to say that the cakes disappeared with all the 
celerity they deemed compatible with good-breeding. 
Never having seen any sugar but the brown or yellow 
maple, they had supposed the white substance to be salt, 
and for that reason had hesitated to taste it. 

Their visit was prolonged until Shaw-nee-aw-kee made 
his appearance, and then, having been made happy by 
their various gifts, they all took their departure. 

About this time, Mr. Kinzie received a letter from Colonel 
Richard M. Johnson, of Kentucky. This gentleman had 
interested himself greatly in a school established in that 
State for the education of Indian youths and children. 
The purport of his letter was to request the Agent to use 
every endeavor to induce the Winnebagoes not only to 
send their children to this institution for their education, 
but also (what was still more important) to set apart a 
portion of their annuity-money to assist in sustaining it. 

There happened to be, at this holiday season, a number 
of the chiefs in the neighborhood of the Portage, and a 



96 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

messenger was sent to convene them all at the house of 
Paquette, the interpreter, that their Father might hold a 
talk with them. 

On the day appointed they all assembled. The subject- 
matter of the letter was laid before them, and all the ad- 
vantages of civilization and education duly set forth — the 
benefits which would arise to their nation, if even a small 
portion of the younger members could be well taught by 
the whites, and then return to their tribe, to instruct them 
in the learning, the arts, manufactures, and habits of civil- 
ized life. To each paragraph, as it was uttered to them, 
they responded with a unanimous " Humph !" (Good !) 

When their Father's address was ended, Day-kau-ray, 
the oldest and most venerable among the chiefs, rose and 
spoke as follows : 

"Father, — The Great Spirit made the white man and 
the Indian. He did not make them alike. He gave the 
white man a heart to love peace, and the arts of a quiet 
life. He taught him to live in towns, to build houses, to 
make books, to learn all things that would make him 
happy and prosperous in the way of life appointed him. 
To the red man the Great Spirit gave a different character. 
He gave him a love of the woods, of a free life, of hunt- 
ing and fishing, of making war with his enemies and tak- 
ing scalps. The white man does not live like the Indian 
— it is not his nature. Neither does the Indian love to 
live like the white man — the Great Spirit did not make 
him so. 

" Father, — We do not wish to do anything contrary to 
the will of the Great Spirit. If he had made us with 
white skins, and characters like the white men, then we 
would send our children to this school to be taught like 
the white children. 

" Father, — We think that if the Great Spirit had wished 



LOUISA— DAY-KAU-RAY ON EDUCATION. 97 

us to be like the whites, he would have made us so. As 
he has not seen fit to do so, we believe he would be dis- 
pleased with us, to try and make ourselves different from 
what he thought good. 

" Father, — I have nothing more to say. This is what 
we think. If we change our minds, we will let you 
know." 

It will be seen from these remarks of Day-kau-ray that 
the Indians entertain a conviction that the Great Spirit 
himself teaches the white man the arts and sciences, and 
since he has given the red man no instruction in these 
branches, it would be unbecoming in him to attempt to 
acquire them in an irregular manner. 

With little incidents of this kind, and with an occasional 
dinner- or tea-party to the young oflBcers, sometimes given 
at the Major's quarters, sometimes at our own, our course 
of life passed pleasantly on. At times I would amuse 
myself by making something very nice, in the form of a 
fruit cake or pie, to send to the quarters of the young offi- 
cers as a present, it being supposed that possibly, without 
a lady to preside over their mess, it might be sometimes 
deficient in these delicacies. Mrs. Twiggs was so fortu- 
nate as to have well-trained servants to do for her that 
which, thanks to my little dark handmaid, always fell to 
my share. 

One day I had made some mince pies, which the Major 
and my husband greatly approved, and I thought I would 
send one to each of the young officers. 

It happened that my husband, that day, in returning 
from superintcjidiug his men on the other side of the river, 
had occasion to call on some errand at Captain Harney's 
quarters. 

Dinner had just been placed upon the table, and the 
Captain insisted on his visitor's sitting down and partak- 

9 



98 THE EARLY DAY TN THE NORTHWEST. 

ing with him and another gentleman who was present. 
The pork and beans were pronounced excellent, and being 
removed there followed a mince pie. 

The Captain cut it, and helped his guests, then taking a 
piece himself, he commenced tasting it. Pushing back his 
plate with an exclamation and a sudden jerk, he called to 
his servant, a little thick-set mulatto who waited — " David, 
you yellow rascal, how dare you put such a pie on my 
table?" And, turning to the company apologetically, he 
said, — 

" If there is anything on earth David does understand, 
it is how to make a mince pie, and here he has filled this 
with brandy, so we cannot eat a morsel of it !" 

" Please, sir," said David, modestly, " I did not make 
the pie — it is one Mrs. Kinzie sent as a present." 

The poor Captain was now in a predicament. He raved 
at himself, at the same time conjuring my husband most 
earnestly not to tell me what a mistake he had made — an 
injunction that was lost sight of as soon as the latter re- 
turned to his home. As for the unlucky Captain, he did 
not venture to call on me again until he felt sure I had 
forgotten the circumstance. 



CHAPTER XII. 

PREPARATIONS FOR A JOURNEY. 

Early in January the snow fell in great abundance. 
We had an unusual quantity at the Portage, but in " the 
diggings," as the lead-mining country was called, it was of 
an unheard-of depth — five or six feet upon a level. 

An express had beeu dispatched to Chicago by theoffi- 



PREPARATIONS FOR A JOURNEY. 99 

cers to take our letters, and bring back the mail from that 
place. A tough, hardy soldier, named Sulky, acted as 
messenger, and he had hitherto made light of his burden 
or the length of the way, notwithstanding that his task 
was performed on foot with his pack upon his shoulders. 
But now Sulky had been absent some weeks, and we had 
given him up entirely, persuaded that he must have per- 
ished with cold and starvation. 

At length he appeared, nearly blind from travelling in 
the snow. He had lain by three weeks in an Indian lodge, 
the snow being too deep to permit him to journey. The 
account he gave put an end to the hopes I had begun to 
entertain of being able to visit our friends at Chicago in 
the course of this winter. 

We had, before the last heavy fall of snow, been form- 
ing plans to that effect. Captain Harney had kindly com- 
menced preparing some trains, or boxes placed on sledges, 
which it was thought would, when lined with buffalo-skins, 
furnish a very comfortable kind of vehicle for the journey ; 
and I was still inclined to think a good, deep bed of snow 
over the whole country no great obstacle to a sleigh-ride. 
The whole matter was, however, cut short by the com- 
manding officer, who from the first had violently opposed 
the scheme, declaring that he would order the sentinels to 
fire on us if we attempted to leave the fort. So, finding 
the majority against us, we were obliged to yield. 

The arrival of sweet, lovely little Lizzie Twiggs, before 
January was quite past, was an event that shed light and 
joy in at least two dwellings. It seemed as if she be- 
longed to all of us, and as she increased in size and beauty 
it was hard to say who, among us all, was most proud of 
her. If we had ever felt any languid hours before, we 
could have none now — she was the pet, the darling, the 
joint property of both households. 



100 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Whatever regret I might have had, previous to this event, 
at the idea of leaving my friend for the three w^eeks to 
which we proposed to limit our visit to Chicago, I felt now 
that she would scarcely miss me, and that we might hold 
ourselves in readiness to take advantage of the first im- 
provement in the weather, to put this favorite project in 
execution. 

During the latter part of February the cold became les? 
severe. The snows melted away, and by the beginning 
of March the weather was so warm and genial, that we 
were quite confident of being able to make the journey on 
horseback without any serious difficulty. 

Our plans once settled upon, the first thing to be pro- 
vided was warm and comfortable apparel. A riding-habit 
of stout broadcloth was pronounced indispensable to my 
equipment. But of such an article I was destitute. 
Nothing among my wedding travelling gear seemed in 
any way to offer a substitute. What was to be done ? 
The requisite material was to be found in abundance at 
the sutler's store {the shantee, as it was technically 
termed), but how to get it manufactured into a suitable 
garment was the question. 

The regimental tailor was summoned. He was cook 
to one of the companies, and there were at first some 
doubts whether he could be permitted to forsake the spit 
for the needle, during the time I should require his 
services. All his tailoring-work had, heretofore, been 
done at odd times on a bench in the company kitchen, and 
thither he now proposed to carry the riding-habit. I 
suggested that, in order to superintend the work, I should 
thus be driven to take up my abode for the time being in 
the barracks, which would be a decided inconvenience. 

To remedy the difficulty, he was finally so happy as to 
find a soldier in " Compan}^ D," who consented to officiate 



PREPARATIONS FOR A JOURNEY. 101 

in his place as cook until his term of service to me shonlrl 
expire. 

Behold, then, a little, solemn-looking man in his stock- 
ing-feet, seated cross-legged on an Indian mat by my 
parlor window. He had made all his arrangements him- 
self, and I deemed it wisest not to interfere with him. 
The cutting-out was the most difficult part, and, as he had 
never made a lady's riding-habit, that task fell to my 
share. I was as great a novice as himself, and I must 
admit that this, my first effort, was open to criticism. But 
the little tailor was of a different opinion. He was in an 
ecstasy with our joint performance. 

"Upon my word, madam," he would exclaim, surve)^- 
ing it with admiring eyes, "we shall have a very re- 
spectable garment!" I do not know how many times he 
repeated this during the three days that the work was 
in progress. 

I believe he had not perfect confidence in the culinary 
powers of his comrade of " Company D," for regularly a 
half-hour before beat of drum his work was folded and 
laid aside, his snips gathered up, and, all things being 
restored to order, he would slip out, resume his shoes, 
which, Turk-like, he had left outside the door, and speed 
over to the barrack-kitchen to see how matters were 
going on. 

In the mean time, great preparations were making below, 
under the supervision of our tidy, active little French 
servant, Mrs. Pillon, the wife of one of the engages, by 
whom the irregular and unmanageable Louisa had been 
replaced. 

Biscuits were baked, a ham, some tongues, and sundry 
pieces of salt pork were boiled, coffee roasted and ground, 
sugar cracked, isinglass cut in pieces of the size requisite 
for a pot of coffee. For the reception of all these different 

9* 



102 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

articles cotton bags of different sizes had been previously 
prepared. Large sacks of skin, called by the Canadians 
porches, were also provided to hold the more bulky pro- 
visions, for our journey was to be a long one. 

The distance from Fort Winnebago to Chicago was not 
very formidable, it is true, if the direct route were taken ; 
but that we knew to be impossible at this season of the 
year. The route by Kosh-ko-nong was out of the ques- 
tion ; all the Indians being absent from their villages in 
the winter, and the ice being now gone, we could have no 
means of crossing the Rock River at that place. 

There remained therefore no alternative but to proceed 
south to Dixon, or, as it was then called, Ogie's Ferry, 
the only certain means of crossing this broad and rapid 
stream. This route being so much out of our direct course 
that we could not hope to accomplish it in less than six 
days, it was necessary to prepare accordingly. 

While the wardrobe and provisions were thus in prep- 
aration, arrangements were also being made as to our 
retinue and mode of conveyance. 

Mr. Kinzie decided to take with him but two men : 
Plante and Pierre Roy, — the former to act as guide, on 
the assurance that he knew every mile of the way, from 
the Portage to Ogie's Ferry, and from Ogie's Ferry to 
Chicago. 

The claims of the different saddle-horses were discussed, 
and the most eligible one was selected for my use. We hesi- 
tated for a time between " Le Gris" and "Souris," two 
much-vaunted animals, belonging to Paquette, the inter- 
preter. At length, being determined, like most of my sex, 
by a regard for exterior, I chose " Le Gris," and " Souris" 
was assigned to young Roy ; my own little stumpy pony, 
" Brunet," being pronounced just the thing for a pack- 
saddle. My husband rode his own bay horse "Tom," 



DEPARTURE FROM FORT WINNEBAGO. 103 

while Plante, the gayest and proudest of the party, 
bestrode a fine, large animal called " Jerry," which had 
lately been purchased for my use ; and thus was our 
cortege complete. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

DEPARTURE FROM PORT WINNEBAGO. 

Having taken a tender leave of our friends, the morn- 
ing of the 8th of March saw us mounted and equipped for 
our journey. The weather was fine — the streams, already 
fringed with green, were sparkling in the sun — everything 
gave promise of an early and genial season. In vain, 
when we reached the ferry at the foot of the hill on which 
the fort stood, did Major Tv/iggs repeat his endeavors to 
dissuade us from commencing a journey which he assured 
me would be perilous beyond what I could anticipate. I 
was resolute. 

Our party was augmented by an escort of all the young 
oflScers, who politely insisted on accompanying us as far 
as Duck Creek, four miles distant. Indeed, there were 
some who would gladly have prosecuted the whole journey 
with us, and escaped the monotony of their solitary, un- 
eventful life. In our rear followed an ox- cart, on which 
was perched a canoe, destined to transport us over the 
creek, and also an extensive marsh beyond it, which was 
invariably, at this season, overflovVed with water to a con- 
siderable depth. We had much amusement in watching 
the progress of this vehicle as it bumped and thumped over 
the road, unconscious hitherto of the dignity of a wheeled 
carriage. 



104 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Our little, shock-headed, sunburnt, thick-lipped Canadian 
(who happened most miraculously to be the husband of my 
pretty servant, Mrs. Pillon) shouted vociferously as the 
animals lagged in their pace, or jolted against a stump, 
"Marchez, don-g,^^ " regardez,^^ '' prenez garde,^^ to our in- 
finite diversion. I was in high spirits, foreseeing no hard- 
ships or dangers, but rather imagining myself embarked on 
a pleasure excursion across the prairies. It had not even 
suggested itself to me that a straw bonnet and kid gloves 
were no suitable equipment for such an expedition. Never 
having travelled at so inclement a season, I was heedlessly 
ignorant of the mode of preparing against it, and had re- 
sisted or laughed at my husband's suggestions to provide 
myself with blanket socks, and a woollen capuchon for my 
head and shoulders. And now, although the wind occasion- 
ally lifted my head-gear with a rude puff, and my hands ere 
long became swollen and stiffened with the cold, I per- 
suaded myself that these w^ere trifling evils, to which I 
should soon get accustomed. I was too well pleased with 
the novelty of my outfit, with my hunting-knife in a gay 
scabbard hanging from my neck, and my tin cup at my 
saddle-bow, to regard minor inconveniences. 

On reaching Duck Creek, we took leave of our young 
friends, who remained on the bank long enough to witness 
our passage across — ourselves in the canoe, and the poor 
horses swimming the stream, now filled with cakes of 
floating ice. 

Beyond the rising ground which formed the opposite 
bank of the stream, extended a marsh of perhaps three 
hundred yards across. To this the men carried the canoe 
which was to bear us over. The water was not deep, so 
our attendants merely took off the pack from Brunet and 
my side-saddle from Le Gris, for fear of accidents, and 
then mounted their own steeds, leading the two extra ones. 



DEPARTURE FROM FORT WINNEBAGO. 105 

My husband placed the furniture of the pack-horse and my 
saddle in the centre of the canoe, which he was to paddle 
across. 

"Now, wifie," said he, "jump in, and seat yourself flat 
in the bottom of the canoe." 

" Oh, no," said I ; "I will sit on the little trunk in the 
centre ; I shall be so much more comfortable, and I can 
balance the canoe exactly." 

"As you please ; but I think you will find it is not the 
best way." 

A vigorous push sent us a few feet from the bank. At 
that instant two ' favorite greyhounds whom we had 
brought with us, and who had stood whining upon the 
bank, reluctant to take to the water as they were ordered, 
gave a sudden bound, and alighted full upon me. The 
canoe balanced a moment — then yielded — and, quick as 
thought, dogs, furniture, and lady were in the deepest of 
the water. 

My husband, who was just preparing to spring into the 
canoe when the dogs thus unceremoniously took precedence 
of him, was at my side in a moment, and, seizing me by 
the collar of my cloak, begged me not to be frightened. I 
was not, in the least, and only laughed as he raised and 
placed me again upon the bank. 

The unfortunate saddle and little trunk were then res- 
cued, but not until they had received a pretty thorough 
wetting. Our merriment was still further increased by 
ihe sight of the maladroit Pillon, who was attempting to 
ride my spirited Jerry across the marsh He was clinging 
to the neck of the animal, with a countenance distorted 
with terror, as he shouted forth all manner of French ob- 
jurgations. Jerry pranced and curveted, and finally shot 
forward his rider, or rather his burden, headforemost, a 
distance of several feet into the water. 



106 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

A general outcry of mirth saluted the unfortunate 
Frenchman, which was redoubled as he raised himself puflf- 
ing and snorting from his watery bed and waddled back 
to his starting-place, the horse, meanwhile, very sensibly 
making his way to join his companions, who had already 
reached the farther bank. 

"Well, wifie," said Mr. Kinzie, '' I cannot trust you in 
the canoe again. There is no way but to carry you across 
the marsh like a pappoose. Will you take a ride on my 
shoulders?" 

" With all my heart, if you will promise to take me 
safely." And I was soon mounted. 

I must confess that the gentleman staggered now and 
then under his burden, which was no slight one, and I was 
sadly afraid, more than once, that I should meet a similar 
fate to old Pillon, but happily we reached the other side 
in safety. 

There my husband insisted on my putting on dry shoes 
and stockings, and (must I confess it ?) drinking a little 
brandy, to obviate the effects of my icy bath. He would 
fain have made a halt to kindle a fire and dry my apparel 
and wardrobe properly, but this I would not listen to. I 
endeavored to prove to him that the delay would expose 
me to more cold than riding in my wet habit and cloak, 
and so indeed it might have been, but along with my con- 
victions upon the subject there was mingled a spice of 
reluctance that our friends at the fort should have an op- 
portunity, as they certainly would have done, of laughing 
at our inauspicious commencement. 

Soon our horses were put in order, and our march re- 
commenced. The day was fine for the season. I felt no 
inconvenience from my wet garments, the exercise of riding 
taking away all feeling of chilliness. It was to me a new 
mode of travelling, and I enjoyed it the more from having 



DEPARTURE FROM FORT WINNEBAGO. 107 

been secluded for more than five months within the walls 
of the fort, scarcely varying the tenor of our lives by an 
occasional walk of half a mile into the surrounding woods. 

We had still another detention upon the road, from 
meeting Lapierre, the blacksmith, from Sugar Creek, who 
with one of his associates was going to the Portage for 
supplies, so that we had not travelled more than twenty- 
three miles when we came to our proposed encamping- 
ground. It was upon a beautiful stream, a tributary of 
one of the Four Lakes,* that chain whose banks are un- 
rivalled for romantic loveliness. 

I could not but admire the sagacity of the horses, who 
seemed, with human intelligence, to divine our approach 
to the spot where their toils were to cease. While still 
remote from the point of woods which foretold a halt, they 
pricked up their ears, accelerated their pace, and finally 
arrived at the spot on a full gallop. 

We alighted at an open space, just within the verge of 
the wood, or, as it is called by Western travellers, " the 
timber." My husband recommended to me to walk about 
until a fire should be made, which was soon accomplished 
by our active and experienced woodsmen, to whom the 
felling of a large tree was the work of a very few minutes. 
The dry grass around furnished an excellent tinder, which, 
ignited by the sparks from the flint (there were no loco- 
.focos in those days), and aided by the broken branches 
and bits of light-wood, soon produced a cheering flame. 
" The bourgeois," in the mean time, busied himself in setting 
up the tent, taking care to place it opposite the fire, but in 
such a direction that the wind would carry the smoke and 
flame away from the opening or door. Within upon the 



* Between two of these lakes is now situated the town of Madison— the 
capital of the State of Wisconsin. 



108 ^^^ EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

ground were spread, first a bear-skin, then two or three 
blankets (of which each equestrian had carried two, one 
under the saddle and one above it), after which, the re- 
mainder of the luggage being brought in, I was able to 
divest myself of all my wet clothing and replace it with 
dry. Some idea of the state of the thermometer may be 
formed from the fact that my riding-habit, being placed 
over the end of the huge log against which our fire was 
made, was, in a very few minutes, frozen so stiff as to 
stand upright, giving the appearance of a dress out of 
which a lady had vanished in some unaccountable manner. 

It would be but a repetition of our experience upon the 
Fox River to describe the ham broiled upon the " broches," 
the toasted bread, the steaming coffee, the primitive table- 
furniture. There is, however, this difference, that of the 
latter we carry with us in our journeys on horseback only 
a coffee-pot, a tea-kettle, and each rider his tin cup and 
hunting-knife. The deportment at table is marked by an 
absence of ceremony. The knife is drawn from the scab- 
bard — those who remember to do so, vouchsafe it a wipe 
upon the napkin. Its first office is to stir the cup of coffee 
— next, to divide the piece of ham which is placed on the 
half of a travelling biscuit, held in the left hand, to fulfil 
the office of a plate. It is an art only to be acquired by 
long practice, to cut the meat so skilfully as not at the 
same time to destroy the dish. 

We take our places around the mat to enjoy what, after 
our fatiguing ride, we find delicious food. The Frenchmen 
are seated at a little distance, receiving their supplies of 
coffee, meat, and bread, and occasionally passing jokes 
with the bourgeois, who is their demi-god, and for whom 
their respect and devotion are never lessened by his affa- 
bility or condescension. 

The meal being finished, the table-furniture is rinsed in 



DEPARTURE FROM FORT WINNEBAGO. 109 

hot water and set aside until morning. A wisp of dry 
prairie-grass is supposed in most cases to render the knife 
fit to be restored to the scabbard, and there being, at this 
season of the year, no amusement but that of watching 
the awkward movements of the spancelled horses in their 
progress from spot to spot in search of pasturage, we are 
usually soon disposed to arrange our blankets and retire 
to rest. 

At break of day we are aroused by the shout of the 
bourgeois, — 

"How ! how ! how !" 

All start from their slumbers. The fire, which has been 
occasionally replenished through the night, is soon kindled 
into a flame. The horses are caught and saddled, while a 
breakfast, similar in kind to the meal of the preceding 
evening, is preparing — the tent is struck — the pack-horse 
loaded — ''tout demanche,^^ as the Canadian says. The 
breakfast finished, we rinse our kettles and cups, tie them 
to our saddle-bows, and then mount and away, leaving our 
fire, or rather our smoke, to tell of our visit. 

March 9th. — Our journey this day led us past the first 
of the Four Lakes. Scattered along its banks was an 
encampment of Winnebagoes. They greeted their Father 
with vociferous joy — " Bon-jour, hon-jour, Shaw-nee-aw- 
kee^ " Hee-nee-karray-kay-noo ?" (how do you do ?) 

To this succeeded the usual announcement, " Wys-kap- 
rah tshoonsh-koo-nee-no /^^ (I have no bread.) 

This is their form of begging ; but we could not afford 
to be generous, for the uncertainty of obtaining a supply, 
should our own be exhausted, obliged us to observe the 
strictest economy. 

How beautiful the encampment looked in the morning 
sun ! The matted lodges, with the blue smoke curling 
from their tops — the trees and bushes powdered with a 

10 



110 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

light snow which had fallen through the night — the lake, 
shining and sparkling, almost at our feet — even the 
Indians, in their peculiar costume, adding to the pic- 
turesque ! 

I was sorry to leave it, as we were compelled to do, in 
all haste, Souris, the pack-horse, having taken it into his 
head to decamp while we were in conversation with our 
red friends. As he had, very sensibly, concluded to pur- 
sue his journey in the right direction, we had the good 
fortune to overtake him after a short race, and, having re- 
ceived much scolding and some blows from young Roy, 
whose charge he specially was, he was placed in the mid- 
dle of the cavalcade, as a mark of disgrace for his breach 
of duty. 

Our road, after leaving the lake, lay over a " rolling 
prairie," now bare and desolate enough. The hollows 
were filled with snow, which, being partly thawed, fur- 
nished an uncertain footing for the horses, and I could not 
but join in the ringing laughter of our Frenchmen as 
occasionally Brunet and Souris, the two ponies, would 
flounder, almost imbedded, through the yielding mass. 
Even the vainglorious Plante, who piqued himself on his 
equestrian skill, was once or twice nearly unhorsed, from 
having chosen his road badly. Sometimes the elevations 
were covered with a thicket or copse, in which our dogs 
would generally rouse up one or more deer. Their first 
bound, or "lope," was the signal for a chase. The horses 
seemed to enter into the spirit of it, as '* halloo" answered 
" halloo ;" but we were never so fortunate as to get a shot 
at one, for although the dogs once or twice caught they 
were not strong enough to hold them. It was about the 
middle of the afternoon when we reached the Blue Mound. 
I rejoiced much to have got so far, for I was sadly fatigued, 
and every mile now seemed like two to me. In fact, the 



DEPARTURE FROM FORT WINNEBAGO. \\\ 

miles are unconscionably long in this country. When I 
was told that we had still seven miles to go, to "Morri- 
son's," where we proposed stopping for the night, I was 
almost in despair. It was my first journey on horseback, 
and I had not yet become inured to the exercise. 

When we reached Morrison's I was so much exhausted 
that, as my husband attempted to lift me from the saddle, 
I fell into his arms. 

" This will never do," said he. " To-morrow we must 
turn our faces towards Fort Winnebago again." 

The door opened hospitably to receive us. We were 
welcomed by a lady with a most sweet, benignant counte- 
nance, and by her companion, some years younger. The 
first was Mrs. Morrison — the other. Miss Elizabeth Dodge, 
daughter of General Dodge. 

My husband laid me upon a small bed, in the room 
where the ladies had been sitting at work. They took 
off my bonnet and riding-dress, chafed my hands, and pre- 
pared me some warm wine and water, by which I was 
soon revived. A half-hour's repose so refreshed me that 
I was able to converse with the ladies, and to relieve my 
husband's mind of all anxiety on my account. Tea was an- 
nounced soon after, and we repaired to an adjoining build- 
ing, for Morrison's, like the establishment of all settlers of 
that period, consisted of a group of detached log houses or 
cabins, each containing one or at most two apartments. 

The table groaned with good cheer, and brought to 
mind some that I had seen among the old-fashioned Dutch 
residents on the banks of the Hudson, 

I had recovered my spirits, and we were quite a cheer- 
ful party. Mrs. Morrison told us that during the first 
eighteen months she passed in this country she did not 
speak with a white woman, the only society she had being 
that of her husband and two black servant-women. 



112 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

A Tennessee woman had called in with her little son 
just before tea, and we amused Mr. Kinzie with a descrip- 
tion of the pair. The mother's visit was simply one of 
courtesy. She was a little, dumpy woman, with a com- 
plexion burned perfectly red by the sun, and hair of an 
exact tow-color, braided up from her forehead in front and 
from her neck behind. These tails, meeting on the top of 
her head, were fastened with a small tin comb. Her dress 
was of checkered homespun, a " very tight fit," and, as she 
wore no ruflf or handkerchief around her neck, she looked 
as if just prepared for execution. She was evidently awe- 
struck at the sight of visitors, and seemed inclined to take 
her departure at once ; but the boy, not so easily intimidated, 
would not understand her signs and pinches until he had 
sidled up to Mrs. Morrison, and, drawing his old hat still 
farther over his eyes, begged for a whang, meaning a nar- 
row strip of deer-skin. The lady very obligingly cut one 
from a large smoked skin, which she produced from its 
receptacle, and mother and son took their leave, with a 
smiling but rather a scared look. 

After tea we returned to Mrs. Morrison's parlor, where 
she kindly insisted on my again reposing myself on the 
little bed, to recruit me, as she said, for the ensuing day's 
journey. My husband, in the mean time, went to look 
after the accommodation of his men and horses. 

During the conversation that ensued, I learned that 
Mrs. Morrison had passed much time in the neighborhood 
of my recent home in Oneida County, that man}^ of the 
friends I had loved and valued were likewise her friends, 
and that she had even proposed to visit me at Fort Win- 
nebago on hearing of my arrival there, in order to com- 
mence an acquaintance which had thus been brought 
about by other and unexpected means. 

Long and pleasant was the discourse we held together 



W. S. HAMILTON— KELLOGG' S GROVE. 113 

until a late hour, and mutual was the satisfaction with 
which we passed old friends and by-gone events in review, 
rauch to the edification of Miss Dodge, and of the gentle- 
men when they once more joined us. 



CHAPTER XIY. 

WILLIAM S. HAMILTON — KELLOGG'S GROVE. 

The next morning, after a cheerful breakfast, at which 
we were joined by the Rev. Mr. Kent, of Galena, we 
prepared for our journey. I had reconciled my husband 
to continuing our route towards Chicago, by assuring 
him that I felt as fresh and bright as when I first set out 
from home. 

There seemed some apprehension, however, that we 
might have difficulty in "striking the trail" to Hamilton's 
diggings, our next point of destination. 

The directions we received were certainly obscure. We 
were to pursue a given trail for a certain number of miles, 
when we should come to a crossing into which we were 
to turn, taking an easterly direction ; after a time, this 
would bring us to a deep trail leading straight to Hamil- 
ton's. In this open country there are no landmarks. 
One elevation is so exactly like another, that if you lose 
your trail there is almost as little hope of regaining it as 
of finding a pathway in the midst of the ocean.* 

The trail, it must be remembered, is not a broad high- 

* I speak, it will be understood, of things as they existed a quarter of 
a century ago. 

10* 



114 TEE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

way, but a narrow path, deeply indented by the hoofs of 
the horses on which the Indians travel in single file. So 
deeply is it sunk in the sod which covers the prairies, that 
it is difficult, sometimes, to distinguish it at a distance of 
a few rods. 

It was new ground to Mr. Kinzie, whose journeys 
from the Portage to Chicago had hitherto been made in 
the direct route by Kosh-ko-nong. He therefore obliged 
Mr. Morrison to repeat the directions again and again, 
though Plante, our guide, swaggered and talked big, aver- 
ring that " he knew every hill and stream and point of 
woods from that spot to Chicago." 

We had not proceeded many miles on our journey, how- 
ever, before we discovered that Monsieur Plante was pro- 
foundly ignorant of the country, so that Mr. Kinzie was 
obliged to take the lead himself, and make his way as he 
was best able, according to the directions he had received. 
Nothing, however, like the " cross trails" we had been 
promised met our view, and the path on which we had 
set out diverged so much from what we knew to be the 
right direction, that we were at length compelled to 
abandon it altogether. 

We travelled the livelong day, barely making a halt at 
noon to bait our horses and refresh ourselves with a 
luncheon. The ride was as gloomy and desolate as could 
well be imagined. A rolling prairie, unvaried by forest or 
stream — hillock rising after hillock, at every ascent of 
which we vainly hoped to see a distant fringe of ''timber.''^ 
But the same cheerless, unbounded prospect everywhere 
met the eye, diversified only here and there by the oblong 
openings, like gigantic graves, which marked an unsuccess- 
ful search for indications of a lead-mine. 

So great was our anxiety to recover our trail, for the 
weather was growing more cold, and the wind more sharp 



W. S. HAMILTON— KELLOGG' S GROVE. 115 

and piercing, that we were not tempted to turn from our 
course even by the appearance, more than once, of a gaunt 
prairie-wolf, peering over the nearest rising-ground and 
seeming to dare us to an encounter. The Frenchmen, it 
is true, would instinctively give a shout and spur on their 
horses, while the hounds, Kelda and Cora, would rush to 
the chase ; but the bourgeois soon called them back, with 
a warning that we must attend strictly to the prosecu- 
tion of our journey. Just before sunset we crossed, with 
some diflBculty, a muddy stream, which was bordered by 
a scanty belt of trees, making a tolerable encamping- 
ground ; and of this we gladly availed ourselves, although 
we knew not whether it was near or remote from the place 
we were in search of. 

We had ridden at least fifty miles since leaving Morri- 
son's, yet I was sensible of very little fatigue ; there was, 
however, a vague feeling of discomfort at the idea of being 
lost in this wild, cold region, altogether different from any- 
thing I had ever before experienced. The encouraging 
tones of my husband's voice, however, " Cheer up, wifie — 
we will find the trail to-morrow," served to dissipate all 
uneasiness. 

The exertions of the men soon made our " camp" com- 
fortable, notwithstanding the diflBculty of driving the 
tent-pins into the frozen ground, and the want of trees 
sufficiently large to make a rousing fire. The place was 
a stony side-hill, as it would be called in New England, 
where such things abound ; but we were not disposed to 
be fastidious, so we ate our salt ham and toasted our 
bread, and lent a pleased ear to the chatter of our French- 
men, who could not sufficiently admire the heroism of 
" Madame John" amid the vicissitudes that befell her. 

The wind, which at bedtime was sufficiently high to be 
uncomfortable, increased during the night. It snowed 



116 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

heavily, and we were every moment in dread that the tent 
would be carried away ; but the matter was settled differ- 
ently by the snapping of the poles, and the falling of the 
whole, with its superincumbent weight of snow, in a mass 
upon us. 

Mr. Kinzie roused up his men, and at their head he 
sallied into the neighboring wood to cut a new set of poles, 
leaving me to bear the burden of the whole upon my 
shoulders, my only safety from the storm being to keep 
snugly housed beneath the canvas. 

With some difficulty a sort of support was at length ad- 
justed for the tent-covering, which answered our purpose 
tolerably well until the break of day, when our damp aud 
miserable condition made us very glad to rise and hang 
round the fire until breakfast was dispatched, and the 
horses once more saddled for our journey. 

The prospect was not an encouraging one. Around us 
was an unbroken sheet of snow. We had no compass, and 
the air was so obscured by the driving sleet, that it was 
often impossible to tell in which direction the sun was. I 
tied my husband's silk pocket-handkerchief over my veil, 
to protect my face from the wind and icy particles with 
which the air was filled, and which cut like a razor ; but, 
although shielded in every way that circumstances rendered 
possible, I suffered intensely from the cold. 

We pursued our way, mile after mile, entering every 
point of woods, in hopes of meeting with, at least, some 
Indian wigwam at which we could gain intelligence. 
Every spot was solitary and deserted ; not even the trace 
of a recent fire, to cheer us with the hope of human beings 
within miles of us. 

Suddenly, a shout from the foremost of the party made 
each heart bound with joy. 

" line cloture! une cloture /" (A fence ! a fence 1) 



W. S. HAMILTON— KELLOGG' S GROVE. in 

It was almost like life to the dead. 

We spurred on, and indeed perceived a few straggling 
rails crowning a rising ground at no ^reat distance. 

Never did music sound so sweet as the crowing of a 
cock which at this moment saluted our ears 

Following the course of the inclosure down the opposite 
slope, we came upon a group of log cabins, low, shabby, 
and unpromising in their appearance, but a most welcome 
shelter from the pelting storm. 

" Whose cabins are these?" asked Mr. Kinzie, of a man 
who was cutting wood at the door of one. 

" Hamilton's," was his reply ; and he stepped forward 
at once to assist us to alight, hospitality being a matter of 
course in these wild regions. 

We were shown into the most comfortable-looking of 
the buildings. A large fire was burning in the clay chim- 
ney, and the room was of a genial warmth, notwithstanding 
the apertures, many inches in width, beside the doors and 
windows. A woman in a tidy calico dress, and shabby 
black silk cap trimmed with still shabbier lace, rose from 
her seat beside a sort of bread-trough, which fulfilled the 
office of cradle to a fine, fat baby. She made room for us 
at the fire, but was either too timid or too ignorant to re- 
lieve me of wrappings and defences, now heavy with the 
snow 

. I soon contrived, with my husband's aid, to disembarrass 
myself of them ; and, having seen me comfortably disposed 
of, and in a fair way to be thawed after my freezing ride, 
he left me, to see after his men and horses. 

He was a long time absent, and I expected he would 
return accompanied by our host ; but when he reappeared 
it was to tell me, laughing, that Mr. Hamilton hesitated 
to present himself before me, being unwilling that one 
who had been acquainted with his family at the East 



118 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

should see him in his present mode of life. However, this 
feeling- apparently wore off, for before dinner he came in 
and was introduced to me, and was as agreeable and polite 
as the son of Alexander Hamilton would naturally be. 

The housekeeper, who was the wife of one of the miners, 
prepared us a plain, comfortable dinner, and a table as long 
as the dimensions of the cabin would admit was set out, 
the end nearest the fire being covered with somewhat 
nicer furniture and more delicate fare than the remaining 
portion. 

The blowing of a horn was the signal for the entrance 
of ten or twelve miners, who took their places below us at 
the table. They were the roughest-looking set of men I 
ever beheld, and their language was as uncouth as their 
persons. They wore hunting-shirts, trowsers, and moc- 
casins of deer-skin, the former being ornamented at the 
seams with a fringe of the same, while a colored belt 
around the waist, in which was stuck a large hunting- 
knife, gave each the appearance of a brigand. 

Mr. Hamilton, although so much their superior, was 
Jiddressed by them uniformly as "Uncle Billy;" and I 
could not but fancy there was something desperate about 
them, that it was necessary to propitiate by this famili- 
arity. This feeling was further confirmed by the remarks 
of one of the company who lingered behind after the rest 
of the gang had taken their departure. He had learned 
that we came from Fort Winnebago, and, having informed 
us that " he was a discharged soldier, and would like to 
make some inquiries about his old station and comrades," 
he unceremoniously seated himself and commenced ques- 
tioning us. 

The bitterness with which he spoke of his former officers 
made me quite sure he was a deserter, and I rather sus- 
pected he had made his escape from the service in conse- 



W. S. HAMILTON— KELLOGG' S GROVE. HO 

quence of some punishment. His countenance was fairly 
distorted as he spoke of Captain H., to whose company- 
he had belonged. " There is a man in the mines," said 
he, *' who has been in his hands, and if he ever gets a 
chance to come within shot of him, I guess the captain 
will remember it. He knows well enough he darsn't set 
his foot in the diggings. And there's T. is not much 
better. Everybody thought it a great pity that fellow's 
gun snapped when he so nearly had him at Green Bay." 

Having delivered himself of these sentiments, he marched 
out, to my great relief. 

Mr. Hamilton passed most of the afternoon with us ; for 
the storm raged so without, that to proceed on our journey 
was out of the question. He gave us many pleasant 
anecdotes and reminiscences of his early life in New York, 
and of his adventures since he had come to the Western 
wilderness. When obliged to leave us for awhile, he 
furnished us with some books to entertain us, the most 
interesting of which was the biography of his father. 

Could this illustrious man have foreseen in what a scene 
— the dwelling of his son — this book was to be one day 
perused, what would have been his sensations ? 

The most amusing part of our experience was yet to 
come. I had been speculating, as evening approached, on 
our prospects for the night's accommodation. As our 
pale, melancholy-looking landlady and her fat baby were 
evidently the only specimens of the feminine gender about 
the establishment, it was hardly reasonable to suppose 
that any of the other cabins contained wherewithal to fur- 
nish us a comfortable lodging, and the one in which we 
were offered nothing of the sort to view, but two beds, 
uncurtained, extended against the farther wall. My doubts 
were after a time resolved, by observing the hostess stretch 
a cord between the two, on which she hung some petti- 



120 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

coats and extra garments, by way of a partition, after 
which she invited us to occupy one of them. 

My only preparation was, to wrap my cloak around me 
and lie down with my face to the wall ; but the good peo- 
ple were less ceremonious, for at the distance of scarcely 
two feet, we could not be mistaken in the sound of their 
garments being, not '' laid aside," but whipped over the 
partition-wall between us. 

Our waking thoughts, however, were only those of 
thankfulness for so comfortable a lodging after the trials 
and fatigues we had undergone ; and even these were of 
short duration, for our eyes were soon closed in slumber. 

The next day's sun rose clear and bright. Refreshed 
and invigorated, we looked forward with pleasure to a 
recommencement of our journey, confident of meeting no 
more mishaps by the way. Mr. Hamilton kindly offered 
to accompany us to his next neighbor's, the trifling dis- 
tance of twenty-five miles. From Kellogg's to Ogie's 
Ferry, on the Rock River, the road being much travelled, 
we should be in no danger, Mr. H. said, of again losing 
our way. 

The miner who owned the wife and baby, and who, 
consequently, was somewhat more humanized than his 
comrades, in taking leave of us " wished us well out of 
the country, and that we might never have occasion to 
return to it I" 

'* I pity a body," said he, " when I see them making 
such an awftd mistake as to come out this way ; for com- 
fort never touched this Western country." 

We found Mr. Hamilton as agreeable a companion as on 
the preceding day, but a most desperate rider. He gal- 
loped on at such a rate that, had I not exchanged my pony 
for the fine, noble Jerry, I should have been in danger of 
being left behind. 



W. S. HAMILTON— KELLOGG' S GROVE. 121 

Well mounted as we all were, he sometimes nearly dis- 
tanced us. We were now among the branches of the 
Pickatonick, and the country had lost its prairie character 
and become rough and broken. We went dashing on, 
sometimes down ravines, sometimes through narrow 
passes, where, as I followed, I left fragments of my veil 
upon the projecting and interwoven branches. Once my 
hat became entangled, and, had not my husband sprung 
to my rescue, I must have shared the fate of Absalom, 
Jerry's ambition to keep his place in the race making it 
probable he would do as did the mule who was under the 
unfortunate prince. 

There was no halting upon the route, and, as we kept 
the same pace until three o'clock in the afternoon, it was 
beyond a question that when we reached " Kellogg's" we 
had travelled at least thirty miles. One of my greatest 
annoyances during the ride had been the behavior of the 
little beast Brunet. He had been hitherto used as a sad- 
dle-horse, and had been accustomed to a station in the file 
near the guide or leader. He did not relish being put in 
the background as a pack-horse, and accordingly, whenever 
we approached a stream, where the file broke up to permit 
each horseman to choose his own place of fording, it was 
invariably the case that just as I was reining Jerry into 
the water, Brunet would come rushing past and throw him- 
self into our very footsteps. Plunging, snorting, and 
splashing me with water, and sometimes even starting 
Jerry into a leap aside, he more than once brought me 
into imminent danger of being tossed into the stream. It 
was in vain that, after one or two such adventures, I 
learned to hold back and give the vexatious little animal 
the precedence. His passion seemed to be to go into the 
water precisely at the moment JeiTy did ; and I was 
obliged at last to make a bargain with young Roy to dis- 

11 



122 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

mount and hold him at every stream until I had got safely 
across. 

" Kellogg's "* was a comfortable mansion, just within 
the verge of a pleasant " grove of timber," as a small forest 
is called by Western travellers. We found Mrs. Kellogg 
a very respectable-looking matron, who soon informed us 
she was from the city of New York. She appeared proud 
and delighted to entertain Mr. Hamilton, for whose family, 
she took occasion to tell us, she had, in former days, been 
in the habit of doing needle-work. 

The worthy woman provided us an excellent dinner, 
and afterwards installed me in a rocking-chair beside a 
large fire, with the " Life of Mrs. Fletcher" to entertain 
me, while the gentlemen explored the premises, visited 
Mr. Kellogg's stock, and took a careful look at their own. 
We had intended to go to Dixon's the same afternoon, but 
the snow, beginning again to fall, obliged us to content 
ourselves where we were. 

In the mean time, finding we were journeying to Chicago, 
Mr. Kellogg came to the determination to accompany us, 
having, as he said, some business to accomplish at that 
place : so Mrs. Kellogg busied herself in preparing him to 
set off with us the following morning. I pleaded hard to 
remain yet another day, as the following was Sunday, 
on which I objected to travel ; but in view of the necessi- 
ties of the case, the uncertainty of the weather, and the 
importance of getting as quickly as possible through this 
wild country, my objections were overruled, and I could 
only obtain a delay in starting until so late in the after- 
noon as would give us just time to ride the sixteen miles 
to *' Dixon's" before sunset. 



* It was at this spot that the unfortunate St. Vrain lost his life, 
during the Sauk war, in 1832, 



W. S. HAMILTON— KELLOGG' S GROVE. 123 

No great time was required for Mr. Kellogg's prepara- 
tions. He would take, he said, only two days' provisions, 
for at his brother in-law Dixon's we should get our supper 
and breakfast, and the route from there to Chicago could, 
he well knew, be accomplished in a day and a half 

Although, according to this calculation, we had suffi- 
cient remaining of our stores to carry us to the end of our 
journey, yet my husband took the precaution of begging 
Mrs. Kellogg to bake us another bag of biscuits, in case 
of accidents, and he likewise suggested to Mr. Kellogg the 
prifdence of furnishing himself with something more than 
his limited allowance ; but the good man objected that he 
was unwilling to burden his horse more than was abso- 
lutely necessary, seeing that, at this season of the year, 
we were obliged to carry fodder for the animals, in ad- 
dition to the rest of their load. It will be seen that we 
had reason to rejoice in our own foresight. 

My experience of the previous night had rendered me 
somewhat less fastidious than when I commenced my 
journey, so that, when introduced to our sleeping-apart- 
ment, which I found we were to share with six men, 
travellers like ourselves, my only feeling was one of thank- 
fulness that each bed was furnished with a full suit of blue 
checked curtains, which formed a very tolerable substitute 
for a dressing-room. 



124 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 



CHAPTER XV. 

ROCK RIVER — HOURS OF TROUBLE. 

It was late on the following day (March 13th) when 
we took leave of our kind hostess. She loaded us with 
cakes, good wishes, and messages to her sister Dixon and 
the children. We journeyed pleasantly along through a 
country beautiful in spite of its wintry appearance. 

There was a house at Buffalo Grove, at which we 
stopped for half an hour, and where a nice-looking young 
girl presented us with some maple-sugar of her own 
making. She entertained us with the history of a contest 
between two rival claimants for the patronage of the stage- 
wagon, the proprietors of which had not decided whether 
to send it by Buffalo Grove or by another route, which she 
pointed out to us, at no great distance. The driver, she 
took care to inform us, was in favor of the former ; and the 
blush with which she replied in the affirmative to our in- 
quiry, " Is he a young man ?" explained the whole matter 
Batisfactorily. 

At length, just at sunset, we reached the dark, rapid 
waters of the Rock River. The ferry which we had 
travelled so far out of our way to take advantage of, proved 
to be merely a small boat or skiff, the larger one having 
been swept off into the stream, and carried down in the 
breaking-up of the ice, the week previous. 

My husband's first care was to get me across. He 
placed me with the saddles, packs, etc. in the boat, and 
as, at that late hour, no time was to be lost, he ventured, 



ROCK RIVER— HOURS OF TROUBLE. 125 

at the same time, to hold the bridles of the two most 
docile horses, to guide them in swimming the river. 

When we had proceeded a few rods from the shore, we 
were startled by a loud puffing and blowing near us, and 
looking around, to our great surprise, discovered little 
Brunet just upon our "weather-bow." Determined not 
to be outdone by his model, Jerry, he had taken to the 
water on his own responsibility, and arrived at the 
opposite shore as soon as any of the party. 

All being safely landed, a short walk brought us to the 
house of Mr. Dixon. Although so recently come into the 
country, he had contrived to make everything comfortable 
around him ; and when he ushered us into Mrs. Dixon's 
sitting-room, and seated us by a glowing wood tire, while 
Mrs. Dixon busied herself in preparing us a nice supper, 
I felt that the comfort overbalanced the inconvenience of 
such a journey. 

Mrs. Dixon was surrounded by several children. One 
leaning against the chimney-piece was dressed in the full 
Indian costume — calico shirt, blanket, and leggings. His 
dark complexion, and full, melancholy eyes, w^hich he kept 
fixed upon the ashes in which he was making marks with 
a stick, rarely raising them to gaze on us, as children are 
wont to do, interested me exceedingly, and I inquired of 
an intelligent little girl, evidently a daughter of our host, — 

" Who is that boy ?" 

" Oh, that is John Ogie," answered she. 

" What is the matter with him ? he looks very sad." 

" Oh, he is fretting after his mother." 

"Is she dead, then?" 

" Some say she is dead, and some say she is gone away. 
I guess she is dead, and buried up in one of those graves 
yonder" — pointing to two or three little picketed inclosures 
upon a rising ground opposite the window. 

11* 



126 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

I felt a strong sympathy with the child, which was in- 
creased when the little spokeswoman, in answer to my 
inquiry, " Has he no father V replied, — 

'' Oh, yes, but he goes away, and drinks, and don't care 
for his children." 

" And what becomes of John then ?" 

'* He stays here with us, and we teach him to read, and 
he learns dreadful fast." 

When the boy at length turned his large dark eyes upon 
me, it went to my heart. It was such a motherless look. 
And it was explained when, long afterwards, I learned his 
further history. His mother was still living, and he knew 
it, although, with the reserve peculiar to his people, he 
never spoke of her to his young companions. Unable to 
endure the continued ill treatment of her husband, a surly, 
intemperate Canadian, she had left him, and returned to 
her own family among the Pottowattamies. Years after, 
this boy and a brother who had also been left behind with 
their father found their way to the Upper Missouri, to join 
their mother, who, with the others of her tribe, had been 
removed by the Government from the shores of Lake 
Michigan. 

A most savory supper of ducks and venison, with 
their accompaniments, soon smoked upon the board, and 
we did ample justice to it. Travelling is a great sharpener 
of the appetite, and so is cheerfulness ; and the latter was 
increased by the encouraging account Mr. Dixon gave us 
of the remainder of the route yet before us. 

"There is no difficulty," said he, "if you keep a little 
to the north, and strike the great Sauk trail. If you get 
too far to the south, you will come upon the Winnebago 
Swamp, and, once in that, there is no telling when you 
will ever get out again. As for the distance, it is nothing 
at all to speak of. Two young men came out here from 



ROCK RIVER— HOURS OF TROUBLE. 127 

Chicago, on foot, last fall. They got here the evening of 
the second day ; and, even with a lady in your party, you 
could go on horseback in less time than that. The only 
thing is to be sure and get on the great track that the 
Sauks have made, in going every year from the Missis- 
sippi to Canada, to receive their presents from the British 
Indian Agent." 

The following morning, which was a bright and lovely 
one for that season of the year, we took leave of Mr. and 
Mrs. Dixon, in high spirits. We travelled for the first 
few miles along the beautiful, undulating banks of the 
Rock River, always in an easterly direction, keeping the 
beaten path, or rather road, which led to Fort Clark, or 
Peoria. The Sauk trail, we had been told, would cross 
this road at the distance of about six miles. 

After having travelled, as we judged, fully that distance, 
we came upon a trail bearing northeast, and a consulta- 
tion was held as to the probability of its being the one 
we were in search of. 

Mr. Kinzie was of opinion that it tended too much to 
the north, and was, moreover, too faint and obscure for a 
trail so much used, and by so large a body of Indians in 
their annual journeys. 

Plante was positive as to its being the very spot where 
he and " Piche" in their journey to Fort Winnebago, the 
year before, struck into the great road. "On that very 
rising-ground at the point of woods, he remembered per- 
fectly well stopping to shoot ducks, which they ate for 
their supper." 

Mr. Kellogg was non-committal, but sided alternately 
with each speaker. 

As Plante was "the guide," and withal so confident of 
being right, it was decided to follow him, not without 
some demurring, however, on the part of the bourgeois, 



128 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

who every now and then called to halt, to discuss the 
state of affairs. 

" Now, Plante," he would say, " I am sure you are lead- 
ing us too far north. Why, man, if we keep on in this 
direction, following the course of the river, we shall bring 
up at Kosh-ko-nong, instead of Chicago." 

" Ah I mon bourgeois," would the light-hearted Canadian 
reply, "would I tell you this is the road if I were not 
quite certain ? Only one year ago I travelled it, and can 
I forget so soon ? Oh, no — I remember every foot of it." 

But Monsieur Plante was convinced of his mistake when 
the trail brought us to the great bend of the river with its 
bold rocky bluffs. 

" Are you satisfied now, Plante ?" asked Mr. Kinzie. 
"By your leave, I will now play pilot myself" And he 
struck off from the trail, in a direction as nearly east as 
possible. 

The weather had changed and become intensely cold, 
and we felt that the detention we had met with, even 
should we now be in the right road, was no trifling matter. 
We had not added to our stock of provisions at Dixon's, 
wishing to carry as much forage as we were able for our 
horses, for whom the scanty picking around our encamping- 
grounds afforded an insufficient meal. But we were 
buoyed up by the hope that we were in the right path 
at last, and we journeyed on until night, when we reached 
a comfortable " encampment," in the edge of a grove near 
a small stream. 

Oh, how bitterly cold that night was I The salted 
provisions, to which I was accustomed, occasioned me 
an intolerable thirst, and my husband was in the habit 
of placing the little tin coffee-pot filled with water at 
my bed's head when we went to rest, but this night it 
was frozen solid long before midnight. We were so well 



ROCK RIVER— HOURS OF TROUBLE. 129 

wrapped up in blankets that we did not suffer from cold 
while within the tent, but the open air was severe in the 
extreme. 

March 15th. — We were roused by the bourgeois at peep 
of day to make preparations for starting. We must find 
the Sauk trail this day at all hazards. What would be- 
come of us should we fail to do so ? It was a question no 
one liked to ask, and certainly one that none could have 
answered. 

On leaving our encampment, we found ourselves enter- 
ing a marshy tract of country. Myriads of wild geese, 
brant, and ducks rose up screaming at our approach. The 
more distant lakes and ponds were black with them, but 
the shallow water through which we attempted to make 
our way was frozen, by the severity of the night, to a 
thickness not quite sufficient to bear the horses, but just 
such as to cut their feet and ankles at every step as they 
broke through it. Sometimes the difficulty of going for- 
ward was so great that we were obliged to retrace our 
steps and make our way round the head of the marsh, thus 
adding to the discomforts of our situation by the con- 
viction that, while journeying diligently, we were, in fact, 
making very little progress. 

This swampy region at length passed, we came upon 
more solid ground, chiefly the open prairie. But now a 
new trouble assailed us. The weather had moderated, and 
a blinding snow-storm came on. Without a trail that we 
could rely upon, and destitute of a compass, our only de- 
pendence had been the sun to point out our direction ; but 
the atmosphere was now so obscure that it was impossible 
to tell in what quarter of the heavens he was. 

We pursued our way, however, and a devious one it 
must have been. After travelling in this way many miles, 
we came upon an Indian trail, deeply indented, running 



130 "^UE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

at right angles with the course we were pursuing. The 
snow had ceased, and, the clouds becoming thinner, we 
were able to observe the direction of the sun, and to per- 
ceive that the trail ran north and south. What should 
we do ? Was it safest to pursue our easterly course, or 
was it probable that by following this new path we should 
fall into the direct one we had been so long seeking ? If 
we decided to take the trail, should we go north or south ? 
Mr. Kinzie was for the latter. He was of opinion we were 
still too far north — somewhere about the Grand Marais, 
or Kish-wau-kee. Mr. Kellogg and Plante were for taking 
the northerly direction. The latter was positive his bour- 
geois had already gone too far south — in fact, that we 
must now be in the neighborhood of the Illinois River. 
Finding himself in the minority, my husband yielded, and 
we turned our horses' heads north, much against his will. 
After proceeding a few miles, however, he took a sudden 
determination. " You may go north, if you please," said 
he, " but I am convinced that the other course is right, 
and I shall face about — follow who will." 

So we wheeled round and rode south again, and many 
a long and weary mile did we travel, the monotony of our 
ride broken only by the querulous remarks of poor Mr. 
Kellogg. " I am really afraid we are wrong, Mr. Kinzie. 
I feel pretty sure that the young man is right. It looks 
most natural to me that we should take a northerly course, 
and not be stretching away so far to the south." 

To all this, Mr. Kinzie turned a deaf ear. The French- 
men rode in silence. They would as soon have thought of 
cutting off their right hand as showing opposition to the 
bourgeois when he had once expressed his decision. They 
would never have dreamed of offering an opinion or re- 
mark unless called upon to do so. 

The road, which had continued many miles through the 



ROCK RIVER— HOURS OF TROUBLE, 131 

prairie, at length, in winding round a point of woods, 
brought us suddenly upon an Indian village. A shout of 
joy broke from the whole party, but no answering shout 
was returned — not even a bark of friendly welcome — as we 
galloped up to the wigwams. All was silent as the grave. 
We rode round and round, then dismounted and looked 
into several of the spacious huts. They had evidently 
been long deserted. Nothing remained but the bare walls 
of bark, from which everything in the shape of furniture 
had been stripped by the owners and carried with them to 
their wintering-grounds, to be brought back in the spring, 
when they returned to make their corn-fields and occupy 
their summer cabins. 

Our disappointment may be better imagined than de- 
scribed. With heavy hearts, we mounted and once more 
pursued our way, the snow again falling and adding to the 
discomforts of our position. At length we halted for the 
night. We had long been aware that our stock of provi- 
sions was insufficient for another day, and here we were — 
nobody knew where — in the midst of woods and prairies 
— certainly far from any human habitation, with barely 
enough food for a slender evening's meal. 

The poor dogs came whining round us to beg their 
usual portion, but they were obliged to content themselves 
with a bare bone, and we retired to rest with the feeling 
that if not actually hungry then, we should certainly be 
so to-morrow. 

The morrow came. Plante and Roy had a bright fire 
and a nice pot of coffee for us. It was our only breakfast, 
for, on shaking the bag and turning it inside out, we could 
make no more of our stock of bread than three crackers, 
which the rest of the party insisted I should put in my 
pocket for my dinner. I was much touched by the kind- 
ness of Mr. Kellogg, who drew from his wallet a piece of 



132 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

tongue and a slice of fruit-cake, which he said " he had 
been saving for the lady since the day before, for he saw 
how matters were a-going." 

Poor man ! it would have been well if he had listened 
to Mr. Kinzie and provided himself at the outset with a 
larger store of provisions. As it was, those he brought 
with him were exhausted early in the second day, and he 
had been boarding with us for the last two meals. 

We still had the trail to guide us, and we continued to 
follow it until about nine o'clock, when, in emerging from 
a wood, we came upon a broad and rapid river. A collec- 
tion of Indian wigwams stood upon the opposite bank, 
and, as the trail led directly to the water, it was fair to 
infer that the stream was fordable. We had no oppor- 
tunity of testing it, however, for the banks were so lined 
with ice, which was piled up tier upon tier by the breaking- 
up of the previous week, that we tried in vain to find a 
path by which we could descend the bank to the water. 

The men shouted again and again, in hopes some strag- 
gling inhabitant of the village might be at hand with 
his canoe. No answer was returned, save by the echoes. 
What was to be done ? I looked at my husband and saw 
that care was on his brow, although he still continued to 
speak cheerfully. " We will follow this cross-trail down 
the bank of the river," said he. " There must be Indians 
wintering near, in some of these points of wood." 

I must confess that I felt somewhat dismayed at our 
prospects, but I kept up a show of courage, and did not 
allow my despondency to be seen. All the party were 
dull and gloomy enough. 

We kept along the bank, which was considerably ele- 
vated above the water, and bordered at a little distance 
with a thick wood. All at once my horse, who was mor- 
tally afraid of Indians, began to jump and prance, snorting 



ROCK RTVER— HOURS OF TROUBLE. 133 

and pricking up his ears as if an enemy were at hand. I 
screamed with delight to my husband, who was at the 
head of the file, " Oh, John I John I there are Indians 
near — look at Jerry !" 

At this instant a little Indian dog ran out from under 
the bushes by the roadside, and began barking at us. 
Never were sounds more welcome. We rode directly into 
the thicket, and, descending into a little hollow, found two 
squaws crouching behind the bushes, trying to conceal 
themselves from our sight. 

They appeared greatly relieved when Mr. Kinzie ad- 
dressed them in the Pottowattamie language, — 

" What are you doing here ?" 

" Digging Indian potatoes" — (a species of artichoke.) 

" Where is your lodge ?" 

" On the other side of the river." 

" Good — then you have a canoe here. Can you take us 
across V 

"Yes — the canoe is very small." 

They conducted us down the bank to the water's edge 
where the canoe was. It was indeed very small. My 
husband explained to them that they must take me across 
first, and then return for the others of the party. 

"Will you trust yourself alone over the river?" inquired 
he. " You see that but one can cross at a time." 

" Oh, yes" — and I was soon placed in the bottom of the 
canoe, lying flat and looking up at the sky, while the older 
squaw took the paddle in her hand, and placed herself on 
her knees at my head, and the younger, a girl of fourteen 
or fifteen, stationed herself at my feet. There was just 
room enough for me to lie in this position, each of the 
others kneeling in the opposite ends of the canoe. 

While these preparations were making, Mr. Kinzie ques- 
tioned the women as to our whereabout. They knew no 

12 



134 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

name for the river but *' Saumanong." This was not 
definite, it being the generic term for any large stream. 
But he gathered that the village we had passed higher 
up, on the opposite side of the stream, was Wau-ban-see's, 
and then he knew that we were on the Fox River, and 
probably about fifty miles from Chicago. 

The squaw, in answer to his inquiries, assured him that 
Chicago was ''close by." 

" That means," said he, " that it is not so far ofi" as 
Canada. We must not be too sanguine." 

The men set about unpacking the horses, and I in the 
mean time was paddled across the river. The old woman 
immediately returned, leaving the younger one with me 
for company. I seated myself on the fallen trunk of a 
tree, in the midst of the snow, and looked across the dark 
waters. I am not ashamed to confess my weakness — for 
the first time on my journey I shed tears. It was neither 
hunger, nor fear, nor cold, which extorted them from me. 
It was the utter desolation of spirit, the sickness of heart 
which " hope deferred" ever occasions, and which of all 
evils is the hardest to bear. 

The poor little squaw looked into my face with a won- 
dering and sympathizing expression. Probably she was 
speculating in her own mind what a person who rode so 
fine a horse, and wore so comfortable a broadcloth dress, 
could have to cry about. I pointed to a seat beside me on 
the log, but she preferred standing and gazing at me, with 
the same pitying expression. Presently she was joined 
by a young companion, and, after a short chattering, of 
which I was evidently the subject, they both trotted off 
into the woods, and left me to my own solitary reflections. 

" What would my friends at the East think," said I to 
myself, " if they could see me now ? What would poor 
old Mrs. Welsh say ? She who warned me that if I came 



RELIEF. 135 

away so far to the West, 1 should break my heart ? Would 
she not rejoice to find how likely her prediction was to be 
fulfilled ?" 

These thoughts roused me. I dried up my tears, and 
by the time my husband with his party and all his horses 
and luggage were across, I had recovered my cheerfulness, 
and was ready for fresh adventures. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



RELIEF. 



We followed the old squaw to her lodge, which was at 
no great distance in the woods. I had never before been 
in an Indian lodge, although I had occasionally peeped into 
one of the many always clustered round the house of the 
Interpreter at the Portage. 

This one was very nicely arranged. Four sticks of wood 
placed to form a square in the centre, answered the pur- 
pose of a hearth, within which the fire was built, the 
smoke escaping through an opening in the top. The mats 
of which the lodge was constructed were very neat and 
new, and against the sides, depending from the poles or 
frame-work, hung various bags of Indian manufacture, 
containing their dried food and other household treasures. 
Sundry ladles, small kettles, and wooden bowls also hung 
from the cross-poles ; and dangling from the centre, by an 
iron chain, was a large kettle, in which some dark, suspi- 
cious-looking substance was seething over the scanty fire. 
On the floor of the lodge, between the fire and the outer 



136 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

wall, were spread mats, upon which my husband invited 
me to be seated and make myself comfortable. 

The first demand of an Indian on meeting a white man 
is for bread, of which they are exceedingly fond, and I 
knew enough of the Pottowattamie language to compre- 
hend the timid '' pe-qua-zhe-gun choh-kay-go^^ (I have no 
bread) with which the squaw commenced our conversa- 
tion after my husband had left the lodge. 

I shook my head, and endeavored to convey to her that, 
so far from being able to give, I had had no breakfast my- 
self. She understood me, and instantly produced a bowl, 
into which she ladled a quantity of Indian potatoes from 
the kettle over the fire, and set them before me. I was 
too hungry to be fastidious, and, owing partly, no doubt, 
to the sharpness of my appetite, I really found them de- 
licious. 

Two little girls, inmates of the lodge, sat gazing at me 
with evident admiration and astonishment, which were 
increased when I took my little Prayer-book from my 
pocket and began to read. They had, undoubtedly, never 
seen a book before, and 1 was amused at th&^ care with 
which they looked away from me, while they questioned 
their mother about my strange employment and listened 
to her replies. 

While thus occupied, I was startled by a sudden sound 
of " hogh !" and the mat which hung over the entrance of 
the lodge was raised, and an Indian entered with that 
graceful bound which is peculiar to themselves. It was 
the master of the lodge, who had been out to shoot ducks, 
and was just returned. He was a tall, finely-formed man, 
with a cheerful, open countenance, and he listened to what 
his wife in a quiet tone related to him, while he divested 
himself of his accoutrements, in the most unembarrassed, 
well-bred manner imaginable. 



RELIEF. 137 

Soon my husband joined us. He had been engaged in 
attending to the comfort of his horses, and assisting his 
men in making their fire, and pitching their tent, which 
the rising storm made a matter of some difficulty. 

From the Indian he learned that we were in what was 
called the Big Woods,* or " Piche's Grove," from a 
Frenchman of that name living not far from the spot — that 
the river we had crossed was the Fox River — that he 
could guide us to Pickets, from which the road was per- 
fectly plain, or even into Chicago if we preferred — but 
that we had better remain encamped for that day, as there 
was a storm coming on, and in the mean time he would go 
and shoot some ducks for our dinner and supper. He was 
accordingly furnished with powder and shot, and set off 
again for game without delay. 

1 had put into my pocket, on leaving home, a roll of 
scarlet ribbon, in case a stout string should be wanted, and 
I now drew it forth, and with the knife which hung around 
my neck I cut ofif a couple of yards for each of the little 
girls. They received it with great delight, and their 
mother, dividing each portion into two, tied a piece to each 
of the little clubs into which their hair was knotted on the 
temples. They laughed, and exclaimed " Saum 1" as they 
gazed at each other, and their mother joined in their mirth, 
although, as I thought, a little unwilling to display her 
maternal exultation before a stranger. 

The tent being all in order, my husband came for me, 
and we took leave of our friends in the wigwam, with 
grateful hearts. 

The storm was raging without. The trees were bend- 
ing and cracking around us, and the air was completely 

* Probably at what is now Oswego. The name of a portion of the wood 
is since corrupted into Specie's Grove. 

13* 



138 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

filled with the wild-fowl screaming and quacking as they 
made their way southward before the blast. Our tent was 
among the trees not far from the river. My husband took 
me to the bank to look for a moment at what we had es- 
caped. The wind was sweeping down from the north in 
a perfect hurricane. The water was filled with masses of 
snow and ice, dancing along upon the torrent, over which 
were hurrying thousands of wild-fowl, making the woods 
resound to their deafening clamor. 

Had we been one hour later, we could not possibly have 
crossed the stream, and there would have been nothing 
for us but to have remained and starved in the wilderness. 
Could we be sufficiently grateful to that kind Providence 
that had brought us safely through such dangers ? 

The men had cut down an immense tree, and built a 
fire against it, but the wind shifted so continually that 
every five minutes the tent would become completely filled 
with smoke, so that I was driven into the open air for 
breath. Then I would seat myself on one end of the 
huge log, as near the fire as possible, for it was dismally 
cold, but the wind seemed actuated by a kind of caprice, 
for in whatever direction I took my seat, just that way 
came the smoke and hot ashes, puffing in my face until I 
was nearly blinded. Neither veil nor silk handkerchief 
afforded an effectual protection, and I was glad when the 
arrival of our huntsmen, with a quantity of ducks, gave 
me an opportunity of diverting my thoughts from my own 
sufferings, by aiding the men to pick them and get them 
ready for our meal. 

We borrowed a kettle from our Indian friends. It was 
not remarkably clean ; but we heated a little water in it, 
and prairie-hay^ d it out, before consigning our birds to it, 
and with a bowl of Indian potatoes, a present from our 
kind neighbors, we soon had an excellent soup 



RELIEF. 139 

What with the cold, the smoke, aod the driving ashes 
and cinders, this was the most uncomfortable afternoon I 
had yet passed, and I was glad when night came, and I 
could creep into the tent and cover myself up in the 
blankets, out of the way of all three of these evils. 

The storm raged with tenfold violence during the night. 
We were continually startled by the crashing of the fall- 
ing trees around us, and who could tell but that the next 
would be upon us ? Spite of our fatigue, we passed an 
almost sleepless night. When we arose in the morning, 
we were made fully alive to the perils by which we had 
been surrounded. At least fifty trees, the giants of the 
forest, lay prostrate within view of the tent. 

When we had taken our scanty breakfast, and were 
mounted and ready for departure, it was with difficulty 
we could thread our way, so completely was it obstructed 
by the fallen trunks. 

Our Indian guide had joined us at an early hour, and 
after conducting us carefully out of the wood, and point- 
ing out to us numerous bee-trees,* for which he said that 
grove was famous, he set off at a long trot, and about nine 
o'clock brought us to Pickets, a log cabin on a rising 
ground, looking off over the broad prairie to the east. 
We had hoped to get some refreshment here, Pich6 being 
an old acquaintance of some of the party ; but, alas 1 
the master was from home. We found his cabin occupied 
by Indians and travellers — the latter few, the former 
numerous. 

There was no temptation to a halt, except that of 
warming ourselves at a bright fire that was burning in the 



* The honey-bee is not known in the perfectly wild countries of North 
America. It is ever the pioneer of civilization, and the Indians call it 
" the white man's bird." 



140 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

clay chimney. A man in Quaker costume stepped forward 
to answer our inquiries, and offered to become our escort 
to Chicago, to which place he was bound — so we dismissed 
our Indian friend, with a satisfactory remuneration for all 
the trouble he had so kindly taken for us. 

A long reach of prairie extended from Piche's to the 
Du Page, between the two forks of which, Mr. Dogherty, 
our new acquaintance, told us, we should find the dwell- 
ing of a Mr. Hawley, who would give us a comfortable 
dinner. 

The weather was intensely cold ; the wind, sweeping 
over the wide prairie with nothing to break its force, 
chilled our very hearts. I beat my feet against the saddle 
to restore the circulation, when they became benumbed 
with the cold, until they were so bruised I could beat 
them no longer. Not a house or wigwam, not even a 
clump of trees as a shelter, offered itself for many a weary 
mile. At length we reached the west fork of the Du Page. 
It was frozen, but not sufficiently so to bear the horses. 
Our only resource was to cut a way for them through the 
ice. It was a work of time, for the ice had frozen to 
several inches in thickness during the last bitter night 
Plante went first with an axe, and cut as far as he could 
reach, then mounted one of the hardy little ponies, and 
with some difficulty broke the ice before him, until he had 
opened a passage to the opposite shore. 

How the poor animals shivered as they were reined in 
among the floating ice ! And we, who sat waiting in the 
piercing wind, were not much better off. Probably Brunet 
was of the same opinion ; for, with his usual perversity, he 
plunged in immediately after Plante, and stood shaking 
and quaking behind him, every now and then looking 
around him, as much as to say, "I've got ahead of you, 
this time !" We were all across at last, and spurred on 



RELIEF. 141 

our horses, until we reached Hawley's* — a large, commo- 
dious dwelliug, near the east fork of the river. 

The good woman welcomed us kindly, and soon made 
us warm and comfortable. We felt as if we were in a 
civilized land once more. She proceeded immediately to 
prepare dinner for us ; and we watched her with eager 
eyes, as she took down a huge ham from the rafters, out 
of which she cut innumerable slices, then broke, a dozen 
or more of fine fresh eggs into a pan, in readiness for 
frying— then mixed ^johnny-cake, and placed it against a 
board in front of the fire to bake. It seemed to me that 
even with the aid of this fine, bright fire, the dinner took 
an unconscionable time to cook ; but cooked it was, at last, 
and truly might the good woman stare at the travellers' 
appetites we had brought with us. She did not know 
what short commons we had been on for the last two days. 
We 'found, upon inquiry, that we could, by pushing on, 
reach Lawtou's, on the Aux Plaines, that night — we should 
then be within twelve miles of Chicago. Of course we 
made no unnecessary delay, but set ofi" as soon after dinner 
as possible. 

The crossing of the east fork of the Du Page was more 
perilous than the former one had been. The ice had be- 
come broken, either by the force of the current, or by some 
equestrians having preceded us and cut through it, so that 
when we reached the bank, the ice was floating down in 
large cakes. The horses had to make a rapid dart through 
the water, which was so high, and rushing in such a tor- 
rent, that if I had not been mounted on Jerry, the tallest 
horse in the cavalcade, I must have got a terrible splashing. 



* It was near this spot that the brother of Mr. Hawley, a Methodist 
preacher, was killed by the Sauks, in 1832, after having been tortured by 
them with the most wanton barbarity. 



142 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

As it was, I was well frightened, and grasped both bridle 
and mane with the utmost tenacity. After this we trav- 
elled on as rapidly as possible, in order to reach our place 
of destination before dark. 

Mr. Dogherty, a tall, bolt-upright man, half Quaker, 
half Methodist, did his best to entertain me, by giving me 
a thorough schedule of his religious opinions, with the 
reasons from Scripture upon which they were based. He 
was a good deal of a perfectionist, and evidently looked 
upon himself with no small satisfaction, as a living illus- 
tration of his favorite doctrine. 

" St. John says," this was the style of his discourse, 
" St. John says, * He that is born of God, doth not commit 
sin.' Now, if I am born of God, I do not commit sin." 

I was too cold and too weary to argue the point, so I 
let him have it all his own way. I believe he must have 
thought me rather a dull companion ; but at least he gave 
me the credit of being a good listener. 

It was almost dark when we reached Lawton's. The 
Aux Plaines* was frozen, and the house was on the other 
side. By loud shouting, we brought out a man from the 
building, and he succeeded in cutting the ice, and bringing 
a canoe over to us ; but not until it had become diflBcult to 
distinguish objects in the darkness. 

A very comfortable house was Lawton's, after we did 
reach it — carpeted, and with a warm stove — in fact, quite 
in civilized style. Mr. Weeks, the man who brought us 
across, was the major-domo, during the temporary absence 
of Mr. Lawton. 

Mrs. Lawton was a young woman, and not ill-looking. 
She complained bitterly of the loneliness of her condition, 



* Riviere Aux Plaincs was the original French designation, now 
changed to Deeplaines, pronounced as in English. 



RELIEF. 14S 

and having been " brought out there into the woods ; 
which was a thing she had not expected, when she came 
from the East." We did not ask her with what expecta- 
tions she had come to a wild, unsettled country ; but we 
tried to comfort her with the assurance that things would 
grow better in a few years. She said, " She did not mean 
to wait for that. She should go back to her family in the 
East,- if Mr. Lawton did not invite some of her young 
friends to come and stay with her, and make it agreeable." 

We could hardly realize, on rising the following morn- 
ing, that only twelve miles of prairie intervened between 
us and Chicago le Desire, as I could not but name it. 

We could look across the extended plain, and on its 
farthest verge were visible two tall trees, which my hus- 
band pointed out to me as the planting of his own hand, 
when a boy. Already they had become so lofty as to 
serve as landmarks, and they were constantly in view as 
we travelled the beaten road. 1 was continually repeating 
to myself, " There live the friends I am so longing to see I 
There will terminate all our trials and hardships I" 

A Mr. Wentworth joined us on the road, and of him 
we inquired after the welfare of the family, from whom 
we had, for a long time, received no intelligence. When 
we reached Chicago, he took us to a little tavern at the 
forks of the river. This portion of the place was then 
called Wolf Point, from its having been the residence of 
an Indian named '' Moaway,^^ or "the Wolf." 

" Dear me," said the old landlady, at the little tavern, 
" what dreadful cold weather you must have had to travel 
in I Why, two days ago the river was all open here, and 
now it's frozen hard enough for folks to cross a-horse- 
back 1" 

Notwithstanding this assurance, my husband did not 
like to venture, so he determined to leave his horses and 



144 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

proceed on foot to the residence of his mother and sister, 
a distance of about half a mile. 

We set out on our walk, which was first across the ice, 
then down the northern bank of the river. As we ap- 
proached the house we were espied by Genevieve, a half- 
breed servant of the family. She did not wait to salute 
us, but flew into the house, crying, — 

" Oh I Madame Kinzie, who do you think has come ? 
Monsieur John and Madame John, all the way from Fort 
Winnebago on foot !" 

Soon we were in the arms of our dear, kind friends. A 
messenger was dispatched to " the garrison" for the re- 
maining members of the family, and for that day, at least, 
I was the wonder and admiration of the whole circle, "for 
the dangers I had seen." 



CHAPTER XYII. 

CHICAGO IN 1831. 

Fort Dearborn at that day consisted of the same 
buildings as at present.* They were, of course, in a 
better state of preservation, though still considerably dilap- 
idated. They had been erected in 1816, under the super- 
vision of Captain Hezekiah Bradley, and there was a story 
current that, such was his patriotic regard for the interests 
of the Government, he obliged the soldiers to fashion 
wooden pins, instead of spikes and nails, to fasten the tim- 
bers of the buildings, and that he even called on the junior 



1865. 



CHICAOO IN 1881. 145 

officers to aid in their construction along with the soldiers, 
whose business it was. If this were true, the captain 
must have labored under the delusion (excusable in one 
who had lived long on the frontier) that Government 
would thank its servants for any excess of economical 
zeal. 

The fort was inclosed by high pickets, with bastions at 
the alternate angles. Large gates opened to the north 
and south, and there were small posterns here and there 
for the accommodation of the inmates. The bank of the 
river which stretches to the west, now covered by the 
light-house buildings, and inclosed by docks, was then 
occupied by the root-houses of the garrison. Beyond the 
parade-ground, which extended south of the pickets, were 
the company gardens, well filled with currant-bushes and 
young fruit-trees. 

The fort stood at what might naturally be supposed to 
be the mouth of the river. It was not so, however, for 
in those days the latter took a turn, sweeping round the 
promontory on which the fort was built, towards the 
south, and joining the lake about half a mile below. These 
buildings stood on the right bank of the river, the left 
being a long spit of land extending from the northern 
shore, of which it formed a part. After the cutting 
through of this portion of the left bank in 1833 by the 
United States Engineers employed to construct a harbor 
at this point, and the throwing out of the piers, the water 
overflowed this long tongue of land, and, continually en- 
croaching on the southern bank, robbed it of many valu- 
able acres ; while, by the same action of the vast body of 
the lake, an accretion was constantly taking place on the 
north of the harbor. 

The residence of Jean Baptiste Beaubien stood at this 
period between the gardens and the river-bank, and still 

13 



146 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

farther south was a rickety tenement, built many years 
before by Mr. John Dean, the sutler of the post. A short 
time after the commencement of the growth of Chicago, 
the foundations of this building were undermined by the 
gradual encroachment of the lake, and it tumbled back- 
ward down the bank, where it long lay, a melancholy 
spectacle. 

On the northern bank of the river, directly facing the 
fort, was the family mansion of my husband.* It was a 
long, low building, with a piazza extending along its front, 
a range of four or five rooms. A broad green space was 
inclosed between it and the river, and shaded by a row of 
Lombardy poplars. Two immense cottonwood-trees stood 
in the rear of the building, one of which still remains as 
an ancient landmark. A fine, well-cultivated garden ex- 
tended to the north of the dwelling, and surrounding it 
were various buildings appertaining to the establishment 
— dairy, bake-house, lodging-house for the Frenchmen, and 
stables. 

A vast range of sand-hills, covered with stunted cedars, 
pines, and dwarf-willow-trees, intervened between the 
house and the lake, which was, at this time, not more than 
thirty rods distant. 

Proceeding from this point along the northern bank of 
the river, we came first to the Agency House, " Cobweb 
Castle," as it had been denominated while long the resi- 
dence of a bachelor, and the sobriquet adhered to it ever 
after. It stood at what is now the southwest corner of 
Wolcottf and N. Water Streets. Many will still remember 
it, a substantial, compact little building of logs hewed and 
squared, with a centre, two wings, and, strictly speaking, 

* See Frontispiece. 
t Since called N. State Street (1870). 



CUICAGO IN 1831. H7 

two tails, since, when there was found no more room for 
additions at the sides, they were placed in the rear, where- 
on a vacant spot could be found. 

These appendages did not mar the symmetry of the 
whole, as viewed from the front, but when, in the process 
of the town's improvement, a street was maliciously 
opened directly in the rear of the building, the whole es- 
tablishment, with its comical little adjuncts, was a constant 
source of amusement to the passers-by. No matter. There 
were pleasant, happy hours passed under its odd-shaped 
roof, as many of Chicago's early settlers can testify. 

Around the Agency House were grouped a collection of 
log buildings, the residences of the different persons in the 
employ of Government, appertaining to that establishment — 
blacksmith, striker, and laborers. These were for the most 
part Canadians or half-breeds, with occasionally a stray 
Yankee, to set all things going by his activity and enter- 
prise. 

There was still another house on the north side of the 
river, built by a former resident by the name of Miller, 
but he had removed to "Riviere du Chemin," or Trail 
Creek, which about this time began to be called " Michi- 
gan City."* This house, which stood near the forks of 
the river, was at this time vacant. 

There was no house on the southern bank of the river, 
between the fort and " The Point," as the forks of the river 
vi^ere then called. The land was a low wet prairie, scarcely 
affording good walking in the dryest summer weather, 
while at other seasons it was absolutely impassable. A 

* I can recall a petition that was circulated at the garrison about this 
period, for "building a brigg over Michigan City." By altering the 
orthography, it was found to mean, not the stupendous undertaking it 
would seem to imply, but simply *' building a bridge" over at Michigan 
City, — an accommodation much needed by travellers at that day. 



148 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

muddy streamlet, or, as it is called in this country, a sZei^,* 
after winding around from about the present site of the 
Tremont House, fell into the river at the foot of State 
Street, t 

At the Point, on the south side, stood a house just com- 
pleted by Mark Beaubien. It was a pretentious white 
two-story building, with bright-blue wooden shutters, the 
admiration of all the little circle at Wolf Point. Here 
a canoe ferry was kept to transport people across the south 
branch of the river. 

Facing down the river from the west was, first a small 
tavern kept by Mr, Wentworth, familiarly known as " Old 
Geese," not from any want of shrewdness on his part, but 
in compliment to one of his own cant expressions. Near 
him were two or three log cabins occupied by Robinson, the 
Pottowattamie chief, and some of his wife's connexions. 
Billy Caldwell, the Sau-ga-nash, too, resided here occasion- 
ally, with his wife, who was a daughter of Nee-scot-nee- 
meg, one of the most famous chiefs of the nation. A little 
remote from these residences was a small square log build- 
ing, originally designed for a school-house, but occasionally 
used as a place of worship whenever any itinerant minister 
presented himself. 

The family of Clybourn had, previous to this time, es- 
tablished themselves near their present residence on the 
North Branch — they called their place New Virgijiia. 
Four miles up the South Branch was an old building which 

* The proper orthography of this word is undoubtedly slough, as it in- 
variably indicates something like that which Christian fell into in flying 
from the City of Destruction. I spell it, howev'^er, as it is pronounced. 

f A gentleman who visited Chicago at that day, thus speaks of it: "I 
passed over the ground from the fort to the Point, on horseback. I was 
up to my stirrups in water the whole distance. I would not have given 
sixpence an acre for the whole of it." 



CHICAGO IN 1831. I49 

was at one time an object of great interest as having been 
the theatre of some stirring events during the troubles of 
1812.* It was denominated Lee's Place, or Hardscrabble. 
Here lived, at this time, a settler named Heacock. 

Owing to the badness of the roads a greater part of the 
year, the usual mode of communication between the fort 
and the Point was by a boat rowed up the river, or by a 
canoe paddled by some skilful hand. By the latter 
means, too, an intercourse was kept up between the resi- 
dents of the fort and the Agency House. 

There were, at this time, two companies of soldiers in 
the garrison, but of the officers one, Lieutenant Furman, 
had died the autumn previous, and several of the others 
were away on furlough. In the absence of Major Fowle 
and Captain Scott, the command devolved on Lieutenant 
Hunter. Besides him, there were Lieutenants Engle and 
Foster — the latter unmarried. Dr. Finley, the post sur- 
geon, was also absent, and his place was supplied by Dr. 
Harmon, a gentleman from Vermont. 

My husband's mother, two sisters, and brother resided 
at the Agency House — the family residence near the lake 
being occupied by J. N. Bailey, the postmaster. 

In the Dean House lived a Mr. and Mrs. Forbes, who 
kept a school. Gholson Kercheval had a small trading 
establishment in one of the log buildings at Wolf Point, 
and John S. C. Hogan superintended the sutler's store in 
the garrison. 

There was also a Mr. See lately come into the country, 
living at the Point, who sometimes held forth in the little 
school-house on a Sunday, less to the edification of his 
hearers than to the unmerciful slaughter of the " King's 
English." 



* See Narrative of the Mas3acre, p. 159. 
13* 



150 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

I think this enumeration comprises all the white in- 
habitants of Chicago at a period less than half a cen- 
tury ago. To many who may read these pages the fore- 
going particulars will, doubtless, appear uninteresting. 
But to those who visit Chicago, and still more to those 
who come to make it their home, it may be not without 
interest to look back to its first beginnings; to contemplate 
the almost magical change which a few years have wrought ; 
and from the past to augur the marvellous prosperity of 
the future. 

The origin of the name Chicago is a subject of discus- 
sion, some of the Indians deriving it from the fitch or pole- 
cat, others from the wild onion with which the woods for- 
merly abounded ; but all agree that the place received its 
name from an old chief who was drowned in the stream in 
former times. That this event, although so carefully pre- 
served by tradition, must have occurred in a very remote 
period, is evident from an old French manuscript brought 
by General Cass from France. 

In this paper, which purports to be a letter from M. de 
Ligney, at Green Bay, to M. de Siette, among the Illinois, 
dated as early as 1126, the place is designated as "Chica- 
goux." This orthography is also found in old family letters 
of the beginning of the present century. 



In giving the early history of Chicago, the Indians say, 
with great simplicity, "the first white man who settled 
here was a negro." 

This was Jean Baptiste Point-au-Sable, a native of St. 
Domingo, who, about the year 1796, found his way to this 
remote region, and commenced a life among the Indians. 
There is usually a strong affection between these two races, 



CHICAGO IN 1831. 151 

and Jean Baptiste imposed upon his new friends by making 
them believe that he had been a "great chief" among the 
whites. Perhaps he was disgusted at not being elected to 
a similar dignity by the Pottowattamies, for he quitted 
this vicinity, and finally terminated his days at Peoria, 
under the roof of his friend Glamorgan, another St. Do- 
mingo negro, who had obtained large Spanish grants in 
St. Louis and its environs, and who, at one time, was in 
the enjoyment of an extensive landed estate. 

Point-au-Sable had made some improvements at Chicago, 
which were taken possession of by a Frenchman named 
Le Mai, who commenced trading with the Indians. After 
a few years Le Mai's establishment was purchased by John 
Kinzie, Esq., who at that time resided at Bertrand, or 
Pare aux Vaches, as it was then called, near Niles, in 
Michigan. As this gentleman was for nearly twenty 
years, with the exception of the military, the only white 
inhabitant of Northern Illinois, some particulars of his 
early life may not be uninteresting. 

He was born in Quebec in 1763. His mother had 
been previously married to a gentleman of the name of 
Haliburton. The only daughter of this marriage was the 
mother of General Fleming, Nicholas Low, Esq., and Mrs. 
Charles King, of New York. She is described as a lady 
of remarkable beauty and accomplishments. Mr. Kinzie 
was the only child of the second marriage. His father 
died in his infancy, and his mother married a third time a 
Mr. Forsyth, after which they removed to the city of New 
York. 

At the age of ten or eleven years he was placed at 
school with two of his half-brothers at Williamsburg, L. I. 
A negro servant was sent from the city every Saturday, to 
bring the children home, to remain until the following 
Monday morning. Upon one occasion, when the mes- 



152 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

senger arrived at the school he found all things in commo- 
tion. Johnny Kinzie was missing I Search was made in 
all directions ; every place was ransacked. It was all in 
vain ; no Johnny Kinzie could be found. 

The heavy tidings were carried home to his mother. By 
some it was supposed the lad was drowned ; by others 
that he had strayed away, and would return. Weeks 
passed by, and months, and he was at length given up and 
mourned as lost. In the mean time the boy was fulfilling 
a determination he had long formed, to visit his native city 
of Quebec, and make his way in life for himself. 

He had by some means succeeded in crossing from 
Williamsburg to the city of New York, and finding at one 
of the docks on the North River a sloop bound for Albany, 
he took passage on board of her. While on his way up 
the river, he was noticed by a gentleman, who, taking an 
interest in the little lonely passenger, questioned him about 
his business. 

" He was going to Quebec, where he had some friends." 

" Had he the means to carry him there ?" 

" Not much, but he thought he could get along." 

It happened, fortunately, that the gentleman himself 
was going to Quebec. He took the boy under his care, 
paid his expenses the whole distance, and finally parted 
with him in the streets of the city, where he was, in truth, 
a stranger. 

He wandered about for a time, looking into various 
" stores" and workshops. At length, on entering the shop 
of a silversmith, he was satisfied with the expression he 
read in the countenance of the master, and he inquired if 
he wanted an apprentice. 

" What, you, my little fellow 1 What can you do ?" 

"Anything you can teach me." 

" Well, we will make a trial and see." 



CHICAGO IN 1831. 153 

The trial was satisfactory. He remained in the family 
of his kind friend for more than three years, when his 
parents, who, in removing to Detroit, had necessarily re- 
turned to Canada, discovered his place of abode, and he 
was restored to them. 

There were five younger half-brothers, of the name of 
Forsyth In the old family Bible, we find the following 
touching record of an event that occurred after the family 
had removed to Detroit: — 

" George Forsyth was lost in the woods 6th August, 
1775, when Henry Hays and Mark Stirling ran away and 
left him. The remains of George Forsyth were found by 
an Indian the 2d of October, 1776, close by the Prairie 
Ronde." 

It seems a singular fatality that the unhappy mother 
should have been twice called to suffer a similar affliction 
— the loss of a child in a manner worse than death, inas- 
much as it left room for all the horrors that imagination 
can suggest. The particulars of the loss of this little 
brother were these. As he came from school one evening, 
he met the colored servant-boy on horseback, going to the 
common for the cows. The school-house stood quite near 
the old fort, and all beyond that, towards the west, was a 
wild, uncultivated tract called ''the Common." The child 
begged of the servant to take him up and give him a ride, 
but the other refused, bidding him return home at once. 
He was accompanied by two other boys, somewhat older, 
and together they followed the negro for some distance, 
hoping to prevail upon him to give them a ride. As it 
grew dark, the two older boys turned back, but the other 
kept on. When the negro returned he had not again seen 
the child, nor were any tidings ever received of him, not- 
withstanding the diligent search made by the whole little 
community, until, as related in the record, his remains 



154 THE EARLY DAY IN TEE NORTHWEST. 

were found the following year by an Indian. There was 
nothing to identify them, except the auburn curls of his 
hair, and the little boots he had worn. He must have 
perished very shortly after having lost his way, for the 
Prairie Rondo was too near the settlement to have pre- 
vented his hearing the calls and sounding horns of those 
in search of him, had he been living. 

Mr. Kinzie's enterprising and adventurous disposition 
led him, as he grew older, to live much on the frontier. 
He early entered into the Indian trade, and had establish- 
ments at Sandusky and Maumee. About the year 1800 
he pushed farther west, to St. Joseph's, Michigan. In 
this year he married Mrs. McKillip, the widow of a 
British officer, and in 1804 came to make his home at 
Chicago. It was in this year that the first fort was 
built by Major John Whistler, 

By degrees more remote trading-posts were established 
by him, all contributing to the parent one at Chicago; at 
Milwaukie with the Menomonees ; at Rock River with 
the Winnebagoes and the Pottowattamies ; on the Illinois 
River and Kankakee with the Pottowattamies of the 
Prairies, and with the Kickapoos in what was called " Le 
Large, ^^ being the widely extended district afterwards 
erected into Sangamon County. 

Each trading-post had its superintendent, and its com- 
plement of engages — its train of pack-horses and its equip- 
ment of boats and canoes. From most of the stations the 
furs and peltries were brought to Chicago on pack-horses, 
and the goods necessary for the trade were transported in 
return by the same method. 

The vessels which came in the spring and fall (seldom 
more than two or three annually), to bring the supplies 
and goods for the trade, took the furs that were already 
collected to Mackinac, the depot of the Southwest and 



CHICAGO IN 1831. 155 

American Fur Companies. At other seasons they were 
sent to that place in boats, coasting around the lake. 



Of the Canadian voyageurs or engages, a race that has 
now so nearly passed away, some notice may very prop- 
erly here be given. 

They were unlike any other class of men. Like the 
poet, they seemed born to their vocation. Sturdy, en- 
during, ingenious, and light-hearted, they possessed a spirit 
capable of adapting itself to any emergency. No diffi- 
culties baffled, no hardships discouraged them ; while 
their affectionate nature led them to form attachments of 
the warmest character to their ** bourgeois," or master, as 
well as to the native inhabitants, among whom their en- 
gagements carried them. 

Montreal, or, according to their own pronunciation, Mar- 
rialle, was their depot. It was at that place that the 
agents commissioned to make up the quota for the dif- 
ferent companies and traders found the material for their 
selections. 

The terms of engagement were usually from four to six 
hundred livres (ancient Quebec currency) per annum as 
wages, with rations of one quart of lyed corn, and two 
ounces of tallow per diem, or " its equivalent in whatever 
.sort of food is to be found in the Indian country." In- 
stances have been known of their submitting cheerfully to 
fare upon fresh fish and maple-sugar for a whole winter, 
when cut off from other supplies. 

It was a common saying, " Keep an engage to his corn 
and tallow, he will serve you well — give him pork and 
bread, and he soon gets beyond your management." 
They regard the terms of their engagement as binding to 
the letter. An old trader, M. Berthelet, engaged a crew 



156 ^//^ EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

at Montreal. The terms of agreement were, that they 
should eat when their bourgeois did, and what he did. It 
was a piece of fun on the part of the old gentleman, but 
the simple Canadians believed it to be a signal instance 
of good luck that had provided them such luxurious pros- 
pects. The bourgeois stuffed his pockets with crackers, 
and, when sure of being quite unobserved, would slily eat 
one. Pipe after pipe passed — the men grew hungry, but, 
observing that there were no preparations of a meal for 
the bourgeois, they bore their fast without complaining. 

At length the matter became too serious — they could 
stand it no longer. In their distress they begged off from 
the bargain, and gladly compounded to take the customary 
rations, instead of the dainty fare they had been promising 
themselves with their master. 

On arriving at Mackinac, which was the entrepot of the 
fur trade, a small proportion of the voyageur's wages 
was advanced him, to furnish his winter's outfit, his pipes 
,and tobacco, his needles and thread, some pieces of bright- 
colored ribbons, and red and yellow gartering (quality 
binding), with which to purchase their little necessaries 
from the Indians. To these, if his destination were Lake 
Superior, or a post far to the north where such articles 
could not be readily obtained, were added one or two 
smoked deer-skins for moccasins. 

Thus equipped, he entered upon his three years' service, 
to toil by day, and laugh, joke, sing, and tell stories when 
the evening hour brought rest and liberty. 

There was not wanting here and there an instance of 
obstinate adherence to the exact letter of the agreement 
in regard to the nature of employment, although, as a 
general thing, the engage held himself ready to fulfil the 
behests of his bourgeois, as faithfully as ev^er did vassal 
those of his chief. 



CHICAGO IN 1831. 157 

A story is told of M. St. Jean, a trader on the Upper 
Mississippi, who upon a certain occasion ordered one of 
his Frenchmen to accompany a party to the forest to chop 
wood. The man refused. " He was not hired," he said, 
"to chop wood." 

"Ah! for what, then, were you hired?" 

" To steer a boat." 

"Very well ; steer a boat, then, since you prefer it." 

It was mid-winter. The recusant was marched to the 
river-side, and placed in the stern of the boat, which lay 
fastened in the ice. 

After serving a couple of hours at his legitimate em- 
ployment, with the thermometer below zero, he was quite 
content to take his place with the chopping-party, and 
never again thought it good policy to choose work for 
himself. 

There is an aristocracy in the voyageur service which 
is quite amusing. The engagement is usually made for 
three years. The engage of the first year, who is called a 
" mangeur-de-lard,^^ or pork-eater, is looked down upon 
with the most sovereign contempt by an "hivernant,^^ or 
one who has already passed a winter in the country. He 
will not only not associate with him, but if invited by him 
to join him in a friendly glass, he will make some excuse 
for declining. The most inveterate drunkard, while tor- 
.tured by a longing to partake his favorite indulgence, will 
yet never suffer himself to be enticed into an infringement 
of this custom. 

After the first winter, the mangeur-de-lard rises from 
his freshman class, and takes his place where he can in 
turn lord it over all new-comers. 

Another peculiarity of the voyageurs is their fancy for 
transforming the names of their bourgeois into something 
funny, which resembles it in sound. Thus, Kinzie would 

14 



158 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

be called by one " Quinze nez^^ (fifteen noses), by another 
" Singe^^ (monkey fiecl). Mr. Kercheval was denominated 
Mons. Court-cheval (short horse), the Judge of Probate, 
"Ze Juge Trop-bete^^ (too foolish), etc. The following is 
an instance in point. 

Mr. Shaw, one of the agents of the Northwest Fur 
Company, had passed many years on the frontier, and 
was by the voyageurs called Monsieur Le Chat.* On 
quitting the Indian country he married a Canadian lady 
and became the father of several children. Some years 
after his return to Canada, his old foreman, named Louis 
la Liberte, went to Montreal to spend the winter. He 
had heard of his old bourgeois' marriage, and was anxious 
to see him. 

Mr. Shaw was walking in the Champ de Mars with a 
couple of officers, when La Liberte espied him. He imme- 
diately ran up, and, seizing him by both hands, accosted 
him, — 

"Ah/ mon cher Monsieur le Ghat; comment vous 
portez-vou8 ?" (My dear Mr. Cat, how do you do ?) 

" Trea-hien, Louizon?'' 

'' Et comment se porte Madame la ChatteV^ (How is 
the n*^»tV«or cat?) 

'' Bi. , bicHj Louizon ; elle est tres-hieny (She is 
very well.) 

''Et tons les petits ChatonsV^ (And all the kittens?) 

This was too much for Mr. Shaw. He answered shortly 
that the kittens ivere all well, and turned away with his 
military friends, leaving poor Louizon quite astonished at 
the abruptness of his departure. 

Cut off, in the manner described, from the world at 

* Mr. Cat. 



MASSACRE AT CHICAGO. 159 

large, with no society but the military, thus lived the 
family of Mr. Kinzie, in great contentment, and in the en- 
joyment of all the comforts, together with most of the 
luxuries, of life. 

The Indians reciprocated the friendship that was shown 
them, and formed for them an attachment of no ordinary 
strength, as was manifested during the scenes of the year 
1812, eight years after Mr. Kinzie first came to live among 
them. 

Some of the most prominent events of that year are re- 
corded in the following Narrative. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

MASSACRE AT CHICAGO.* 

It was the evening of the Tth of April, 1812. The chil- 
dren of Mr. Kinzie were dancing before the fire to the 
music of their father's violin. The tea-table was spread, 
and they were awaiting the return of their mother, who 
had gone to visit a sick neighbor about a quarter of a mile 
up the river. 

Suddenly their sports were interrupted. The door was 
thrown open, and Mrs. Kinzie rushed in, pale with terror, 
and scarcely able to articulate, *' The Indians I the In- 
dians !" 



* This Narrative, first published in pamphlet form in 1836, was 
transferred, with little variation, to Brown's " History of Illinois," 
and to a work called "Western Annals." It was likewise made, by 
Major Richardson, the basis of his two tales, " Hardsorabble," and 
*• Wau-nan-gee." 



160 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

"The Indians? What? Where?" eagerly demanded 
they all. 

" Up at Lee's Place, kiUing and scalping I" 

With difficulty Mrs. Kinzie composed herself sufficiently 
to give the information, " That, while she was up at 
Burns's, a man and a boy were seen running down with 
all speed on the opposite side of the river; that they 
had called across to give notice to Burns's family to 
save themselves, for the Indians were at Lee's Place, 
from which they had just made their escape. Having 
given this terrifying news, they had made all speed for 
the fort, which was on the same side of the river that 
they then were." 

All was now consternation and dismay. The family 
were hurried into two old pirogues, that lay moored near 
the house, and paddled with all possible haste across the 
river to take refuge in the fort. 

All that the man and boy who had made their escape 
were able to tell, was soon known ; but, in order to render 
their story more intelligible, it is necessary to describe the 
scene of action. 

Lee''s Place, since known by the name of Hardscrabble, 
was a farm intersected by the Chicago River, about four 
miles from its mouth. The farm-house stood on the 
western bank of the south branch of this river. On the 
north side of the main stream, but quite near its junc- 
tion with Lake Michigan, stood (as has already been 
described) the dwelling-house and trading-establishment 
of Mr. Kinzie. 

The fort was situated on the southern bank, directly 
opposite this mansion — the river, and a few rods of sloping 
green turf on either side, being all that intervened be- 
tween them. 

The fort was differently constructed from the one erected 



MASSACRE AT CHICAOO. 161 

on the same site in 181 G. It had two block-houses on the 
southern side, and on the northern a sally-port, or subter- 
ranean passage from the parade-ground to the river. This 
was designed either to facilitate escape in case of an 
emergency, or as a means of supplying the garrison with 
water during a siege. 

The oflScers in the fort at this period were Captain 
Heald, the commanding officer, Lieutenant Helm, the son- 
in-law of Mr. Kinzie, and Ensign Ronan — the two last 
were very young men — and the surgeon, Dr. Van Voor- 
hees. 

The command numbered about seventy-five men ; very 
hw of whom were effective. 

A constant and friendly intercourse had been maintained 
between these troops and the Indians. It is true that the 
principal men of the Pottowattamie nation, like those of 
most other tribes, went yearly to Fort Maiden, in Canada, 
to receive a large amount of presents, with which the 
British Government had, for many years, been in the habit 
of purchasing their alliance ; and it was well known that 
many of tiie Pottowattamies, as well as Winnebagoes, had 
been engaged with the Ottawas and Shawnees at the 
battle of Tippecanoe, the preceding autumn ; yet, as the 
principal chiefs of all the bands in the neighborhood ap- 
peared to be on the most amicable terms with the Ameri- 
cans, no interruption of their harmony was at any time 
anticipated. 

After the 15th of August, however, many circumstances 
were recollected that might have opened the eyes of the 
whites, had they not been lulled in a fatal security. One 
instance in particular may be mentioned. 

In the spring preceding the destruction of the fort, two 
Indians of the Calumet band came to the fort on a visit 
to the commanding officer. As they passed through the 

14* 



162 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

quarters, they saw Mrs. Heald aud Mrs. Helm playing at 
battledoor. 

Turning to the interpreter, one of them, Nau-non-gee, 
remarked, " The white chiefs' wives are amusing them- 
selves very much ; it will not be long before they are 
hoeing in our cornfields I" 

This was considered at the time an idle threat, or, at 
most, an ebullition of jealous feeling at the contrast be- 
tween the situation of their own women and that of the 
" white chiefs' wives." Some months after, how bitterly 
was it remembered ! 

The farm at Lee's Place was occupied by a Mr. White 
and three persons employed by him in the care of the 
farm. 

In the afternoon of the day on which our narrative 
commences, a party of ten or twelve Indians, dressed and 
painted, arrived at the house, and, according to the custom 
among savages, entered and seated themselves without 
ceremony. 

Something in their appearance and manner excited the 
suspicions of one of the family, a Frenchman, who re- 
marked, " I do not like the appearance of these Indians — 
they are none of our folks. I know by their dress and 
paint that they are not Pottowattamies." 

Another of the family, a discharged soldier, then said to 
the boy who was present, " If that is the case, we had 
better get away from them if we can. Say nothing ; but 
do as you see me do." 

As the afternoon was far advanced, the soldier walked 
leisurely towards the canoes, of which there were two tied 
near the bank. Some of the Indians inquired where he 
was going. He pointed to the cattle which were standing 
among the haystacks on the opposite bank, and made 



MASSACRE AT CHICAGO, 163 

signs that they must go and fodder them, and then they 
should return and get their supper. 

He got into one canoe, and the boy into the other. The 
stream was narrow, and they were soon across. When 
they had gained the opposite side, they pulled some hay 
for the cattle — made a show of collecting them — and when 
they had gradually made a circuit, so that their movements 
were concealed by the haystacks, they took to the woods, 
which were close at hand, and made for the fort. 

They had run about a quarter of a mile, when they 
heard the discharge of two guns successively, which they 
supposed to have been levelled at the companions they had 
left behind. 

They stopped not nor stayed until they arrived opposite 
Burns's,* where, as before related, they called across to 
advertise the family of their danger, and then hastened on 
to the fort. 

It now occurred to those who had secured their own 
safety, that the family of Burns was at this moment ex- 
posed to the most imminent peril. The question was, who 
would hazard his own life to bring them to a place of 
safety? A gallant young officer, Ensign Ronan, volun- 
teered, with a party of five or six soldiers, to go to their 
rescue. 

They ascended the river in a scow, and took the mother, 
with her infant of scarcely a day old, upon her bed to the 
boat, in which they carefully conveyed her and the other 
members of the family to the fort. 

A party of soldiers, consisting of a corporal and six 
men, had that afternoon obtained leave to go up the river 
to fish. 



* Burna's house stood near the spot where the Agency Building, or 
Cobweb Castle," was afterwards erected, at the foot of N. State Street. 



164 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

They had not returned when the fugitives from Lee's 
Place arrived at the fort, and, fearing that they might 
encounter the Indians, the commanding officer ordered a 
cannon to be fired, to warn them of danger. 

They were at the time about two miles above Lee's 
Place. Hearing the signal, they took the hint, put out 
their torches (for it was now night), and dropped down 
the river towards the garrison, as silently as possible. It 
will be remembered that the unsettled state of the country 
since the battle of Tippecanoe, the preceding November, 
had rendered every man vigilant, and the slightest alarm 
was an admonition to "beware of the Indians." 

When the fishing-party reached Lee's Place, it was pro- 
posed to stop and warn the inmates to be upon their 
guard, as the signal from the fort indicated danger of some 
kind. All was still as death around the house. They 
groped their way along, and as the corporal jumped over 
the small enclosure he placed his hand upon the dead 
body of a man. By the sense of touch he soon ascertained 
that the head was without a scalp, and otherwise mutilated. 
The faithful dog of the murdered man stood guarding the 
lifeless remains of his master. 

The tale was now told. The men retreated to their 
canoes, and reached the fort unmolested about eleven 
o'clock at night. The next morning a party of the citizens 
and soldiers volunteered to go to Lee's Place, to learn 
further the fate of its occupants. The body of Mr. White 
was found pierced by two balls, and with eleven stabs in 
the breast. The Frenchman, as already described, lay 
dead, with his dog still beside him. Their bodies were 
brought to the fort and buried in its immediate vicinity. 

It was subsequently ascertained, from traders out in the 
Indian country, that the perpetrators of this bloody deed 
were a party of Winnebagoes, who had come into this 



MASSACRE AT CHIC AGO. 1G5 

noighborhood to " take some white scalps." Their plan 
had been, to proceed down the river from Lee's Place, and 
kill every white man withont thi; walls of the fort. Hear- 
ing, however, the report of the cannon, and not knowing 
what it portended, they thought it best to remain satisfied 
with this one exploit, and forthwith retreated to their 
homes on Rock lliver. 

The inhabitants outside the fort, consisting of a few 
discharged soldiers and some families of half-breeds, now 
intrenched themselves in the Agency House. This stood 
west of the fort, between the pickets and the river, and 
distant about twenty rods from the former. 

It was an old-fashioned log building, with a hall run- 
ning through the centre, and one large room on each side. 
Piazzas extended the whole length of the building in front 
and rear. These were planked up, for greater security, 
port-holes were cut, and sentinels posted at night. 

As the enemy were believed to be lurking still in the 
neighborhood, or, emboldened by former success, likely to 
return at any moment, an order was issued prohibiting any 
soldier or citizen from leaving the vicinity of the garrison 
without a guard. 

One night a sergeant and private, who were out on a 
patrol, came suddenly upon a i)arty of Indians in the 
pasture adjoining the esplanade. The sergeant fired his 
piece, and both retreated towards the fort. Before they 
could reach it, an Indian threw his tomahawk, which 
missed the sergeant and struck a wagon standing near. 
The sentinel from the block-house immediately fired, and 
with elfect, while the men got safely in. The next morn- 
ing it was ascertained, from traces of blood to a consider- 
able distance into the prairie, and from the appearance of 
a body having been laid amoii^- the h)ng grass, that some 
execution had been done. 



166 "^UE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

On another occasion the enemy entered the esplanade to 
steal horses. Not finding them in the stable, as they had 
expected, they made themselves amends for their disap- 
pointment by stabbing all the sheep in the stable and then 
letting them loose. The poor animals flocked towards the 
fort. This gave the alarm — the garrison was aroused 
— parties were sent out, but the marauders escaped un- 
molested. 

The inmates of the fort experienced no further alarm for 
many weeks. 

On the afternoon of the tth of August, Winnemeg, or 
Catfish, a Pottowattamie chief, arrived at the post, bring- 
ing despatches from General Hull. These announced the 
declaration of war between the United States and Great 
Britain, and that General Hull, at the head of the North- 
western army, had arrived at Detroit ; also, that the island 
of Mackinac had fallen into the hands of the British. 

The orders to Captain Heald were, " to evacuate the 
fort, if practicable, and, in that event, to distribute all the 
United States' property contained in the fort, and in the 
United States' factory or agency, among the Indians in 
the neighborhood." 

After having delivered his despatches, Winnemeg re- 
quested a private interview with Mr. Kinzie, who had 
taken up his residence in the fort. He stated to Mr. K. 
that he was acquainted with the purport of the communi- 
cations he had brought, and begged him to ascertain if it 
were the intention of Captain Heald to evacuate the post. 
He advised strongly against such a step, inasmuch as the 
garrison was well supplied with ammunition, and with 
provisions for six months. It would, therefore, be far 
better, he thought, to remain until a reinforcement could 
be sent to their assistance. If, however. Captain Heald 



MASSACRE AT CHICAGO. 167 

should decide upon leaving the post, it should by all means 
be done immediately. The Pottowattamies, through whose 
country they must pass, being ignorant of the object of 
Winnemeg's mission, a forced march might be made, before 
those who were hostile in their feelings were prepared to 
interrupt them. 

Of this advice, so earnestly given, Captain Heald was 
immediately informed. He replied that it was his inten- 
tion to evacuate the post, but that, inasmuch as he had 
received orders to distribute the United States' property, 
he should not feel justified in leaving it until he had 
collected the Indians of the neighborhood and made an 
equitable division among them. 

Winnemeg then suggested the expediency of marching 
out, and leaving all things standing — possibly while the 
Indians were engaged in the partition of the spoils, the 
troops might effect their retreat unmolested. This advice 
was strongly seconded by Mr. Kinzie, but did not meet 
the approbation of the commanding officer. 

The order for evacuating the post was read next morn- 
ing upon parade. It is difficult to understand why Cap- 
tain Heald, in such an emergency, omitted the usual form 
of calling a council of war with his officers. It can only 
be accounted for by the fact of a want of harmonious feel- 
ing between himself and one of his junior officers — Ensign 
Ronan, a high-spirited and somewhat overbearing, but 
brave and generous young man. 

In the course of the day, finding that no council was 
called, the officers waited on Captain Heald to be informed 
what course he intended to pursue. When they learned 
his intentions, they remonstrated with him, on the follow- 
ing grounds : 

First — It was highly improbable that the command 
would be permitted to pass through the country in safety 



f68 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

to Fort Wayne. For although it had been said that some 
of the chiefs had opposed an attack upon the fort, plannea 
the preceding autumn, yet it was well known that the5 
had been actuated in that matter by motives of private 
regard to one family, that of Mr. Kinzie, and not to any 
general friendly feeling towards the Americans ; and that, 
at any rate, it was hardly to be expected that these few 
individuals would be able to control the whole tribe, who 
were thirsting for blood. 

In the next place — Their march must necessarily be 
slow, as their movements must be accommodated to the 
helplessness of the women and children, of whom there 
were a number with the detachment. That of their small 
force, some of the soldiers were superannuated, others 
invalid ; therefore, since the course to be pursued was left 
discretional, their unanimous advice was, to remain where 
they were, and fortify themselves as strongly as possible. 
Succors from the other side of the peninsula might arrive 
before they could be attacked by the British from Mack- 
inac; and even should they not, it were far better to fall 
into the hands of the latter than to become the victims of 
the savages. 

Captain Heald argued in reply, " that a special order 
had been issued by the War Department, that no post 
should be surrendered without battle having been given, 
and his force was totally inadequate to an engagement 
with the Indians; that he should unquestionably be 
censured for remaining, when there appeared a prospect 
of a safe march through; and that, upon the whole, he 
deemed it expedient to assemble the Indians, distribute 
the property among them, and then ask of them an escort 
to Fort Wayne, with the promise of a considerable reward 
upon their safe arrival — adding, that he had full confidence 
la the friendly professions of the Indians, from whom, as 



MASSACRE AT CHICAGO. 169 

well as from the soldiers, the capture of Mackinae had 
been kept a profound secret. 

From this time the officers held themselves aloof, and 
spoke but little upon the subject, though they considered 
the project of Captain Heald little short of madness. 
The dissatisfaction among the soldiers hourly increased, 
until it reached a high pitch of insubordination. 

Upon one occasion, as Captain Heald was conversing 
with Mr. Kinzie upon the parade, he remarked, " I could 
not remain, even if I thought it best, for I have but a 
small store of provisions." 

"Why, captain," said a soldier who stood near, forget- 
ting all etiquette in the excitement of the moment, "you 
have cattle enough to last the troops six months." 

" But," replied Captain Heald, " I have no salt to pre- 
serve it with." 

" Then jerk* it," said the man, " as the Indians do their 
venison." 

The Indians now became daily more unruly. Entering 
the fort in defiance of the sentinels, they made their way 
without ceremony into the officers' quarters. On one 
occasion an Indian took up a rifle and fired it in the parlor 
of the commanding officer, as an expression of defiance. 
Some were of opinion that this was intended among the 
young men as a signal for an attack. The old chiefs 
passed backwards and forwards among the assembled 
groups, with the appearance of the most lively agitation, 
while the squaws rushed to and fro, in great excitement, 
and evidently prepared for some fearful scene. 

Any further manifestation of ill feeling was, however, 



* This is done by cutting the meat in thin slices, placing it upon a 
scaffold, and making a fire under it, ■which dries it and smokes it at the 
same time. 

15 



I-JO THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

suppressed for the present, and Captain Heald, strange as 
it may seem, continued to entertain a conviction of having 
created so amicable a disposition among the Indians as 
would insure the safety of the command on their march 
to Fort Wayne. 

Thus passed the time until the 12th of August. The 
feelings of the inmates of the fort during this time may 
be better imagined than described. Each morning that 
dawned seemed to bring them nearer to that most appall- 
ing fate — butchery by a savage foe — and at night they 
scarcely dared yield to slumber, lest they should be 
aroused by the war-whoop and tomahawk. Gloom and 
mistrust prevailed, and the want of unanimity among the 
officers debarred them the consolation they might have 
found in mutual sympathy and encouragement. 

The Indians being assembled from the neighboring 
villages, a council was held with them on the afternoon 
of the 12th. Captain Heald alone attended on the part 
of the military. He requested his officers to accompany 
him, but they declined. They had been secretly informed 
that it was the intention of the young chiefs to fall upon 
the officers and massacre them while in council, but they 
could not persuade Captain Heald of the truth of their 
information. They waited therefore only until he had left 
the garrison, accompanied by Mr. Kinzie, when they took 
command of the block-houses which overlooked the espla- 
nade on which the council was held, opened the port-holes, 
and pointed the cannon so as to command the whole 
assembly. By this means, probably, the lives of the 
whites who were present in council were preserved. 

In council, the commanding officer informed the Indians 
that it was his intention to distribute among them, the 
next day, not only the goods lodged in the United States' 
factory, but also the ammunition and provisions, with 



MASSACRE AT CHICAOO. 171 

which the garrison was well supplied. He then requested 
of the Pottowattamies an escort to Fort Wayne, promising 
them a liberal reward on arriving there, in addition to the 
presents they were now about to receive. With many pro- 
fessions of friendship and good will, the savages assented 
to all he proposed, and promised all he required. 

After the council, Mr. Kinzie, who understood well, not 
only the Indian character, but the present tone of feeling 
among them, had a long interview with Captain Heald, in 
hopes of opening his eyes to the present posture of affairs. 

He reminded him that since the troubles with the In- 
dians upon the Wabash and its vicinity, there had appeared 
a settled plan of hostilities towards the whites, in conse- 
quence of which it had been the policy of the Americans 
to withhold from them whatever would enable them to 
carry on their warfare upon the defenceless inhabitants of 
the frontier. 

Mr. Kinzie also recalled to Captain Heald how that, 
having left home for Detroit, the preceding autumn, on re- 
ceiving, when he had proceeded as far as De Charme's,* 
the intelligence of the battle of Tippecanoe, he had immedi- 
ately returned to Chicago, that he might dispatch orders 
to his traders to furnish no ammunition to the Indians ; in 
consequence of which all they had on hand was secreted, 
and such of the traders as had not already started for their 
wintering-grounds, took neither powder nor shot with them. 

Captain Heald was struck with the impolicy of furnishing 
the enemy (for such they must now consider their old neigh- 
bors) with arms against himself, and determined to destroy 
all the ammunition except what should be necessary for 
the use of his own troops. 

On the 13th, the goods, consisting of blankets, broad- 



A trading-establishment — now Ypsilanti. 



172 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

cloths, calicoes, paints, etc., were distributed, as stipulated. 
The same evening the ammunition and liquor were carried, 
part into the sally-port, and thrown into a well which had 
been dug there to supply the garrison with water in case 
of emergency ; the remainder was transported as secretly 
as possible through the northern gate, the heads of the 
barrels knocked in, and the contents poured into the river. 

The same fate was shared by a large quantity of alcohol 
belonging to Mr. Kiuzie, which had been deposited in a 
warehouse near his residence opposite the fort. 

The Indians suspected what was going on, and crept, 
serpent-like, as near the scene of action as possible, but a 
vigilant watch was kept up, and no one was suffered to 
approach but those engaged in the affair. All the muskets 
not necessary for the command on the march were broken 
up and thrown into the well, together with the bags of 
shot, flints, gunscrews, and, in short, everything relating 
to weapons of offence. 

Some relief to the general feeling of despondency was 
afforded, by the arrival, on the 14th of August, of Captain 
Wells* with fifteen friendly Miamis. 

Of this brave man, who forms so conspicuous a figure 
in our frontier annals, it is unnecessary here to say more 
than that he had been residing from his boyhood among 
the Indians, and consequently possessed a perfect knowl- 
edge of their character and habits. 

He had heard, at Fort Wayne, of the order for evacu- 
ating the fort at Chicago, and, knowing the hostile deter- 
mination of the Pottowattamies, he had made a rapid 

* Captain Wells, when a boy, was stolen, by the Miami Indians, from 
the family of Hon. Nathaniel Pope, in Kentucky. Although recovered 
by them, he preferred to return and live among his new friends. He 
married a Miami woman, and became a chief of the nation. He was the 
father of the late Mrs. Judge Wolcott, of Maumee, Ohio. 



MASSACRE AT CHICAGO. 1Y3 

march across the country, to prevent the exposure of his 
'relative, Captain Heald, and his troops, to certain destruc- 
tion. 

But he came "all too late." When he reached the post 
he found that the ammunition had been destroyed, and the 
provisions given to the Indians. There was, therefore, 
now no alternative, and every preparation was made for 
the march of the troops on the following morning. 

On the afternoon of the same day, a second council was 
held with the Indians. They expressed great indignation 
at the destruction of the ammunition and liquor. 

Notwithstanding the precautions that had been taken to 
preserve secrecy, the noise of knocking in the heads of the 
barrels had betrayed the operations of the preceding night; 
indeed, so great was the quantity of liquor thrown into 
the river, that the taste of the water the next morning 
was, as one expressed it, " strong grog." 

Murmurs and threats were everywhere heard among 
the savages. It was evident that the first moment of ex- 
posure would subject the troops to some manifestation of 
their disappointment and resentment. 

Among the chiefs were several who, although they 
shared the general hostile feeling of their tribe towards the 
Americans, yet retained a personal regard for the troops 
at this post, and for the few white citizens of the place. 
These chiefs exerted their utmost influence to allay the re- 
vengeful feelings of the young men, and to avert their 
sanguinary designs, but without effect. 

On the evening succeeding the council. Black Partridge* 
a conspicuous chief, entered the quarters of the com- 
manding officer. 

" Father," said he, " I come to deliver up to you the 
medal I wear. It was given me by the Americans, and I 
have long worn it in token of our mutual friendship. But 

* " Muckatee-Benals " was his Indian name. 



174 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

our young men are resolved to imbrue their hands in the 
blood of the whites. I cannot restrain them, and I will 
not wear a token of peace while I am compelled to act as 
an enemy." 

Had further evidence been wanting, this circumstance 
would have sufficiently proved to the devoted band the 
justice of their melancholy anticipations. Nevertheless, 
they went steadily on with the necessary preparations ; 
and, amid the horrors of their situation, there were not 
wanting gallant hearts, who strove to encourage, in their 
desponding companions, the hopes of escape they were far 
from indulging themselves. 

Of the ammunition there had been reserved but twenty- 
five rounds, besides one box of cartridges, contained in the 
baggage-wagons. This must, under any circumstances 
of danger, have proved an inadequate supply ; but the 
prospect of a fatiguing march, in their present ineffective 
state, forbade the troops embarrassing themselves with a 
larger quantity. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

NARRATIVE OF THE MASSACRE, CONTINUED. 

The morning of the 15th arrived. All things were in 
readiness, and nine o'clock was the hour named for starting. 

Mr. Kinzie, having volunteered to accompany the troops 
in their march, had intrusted his family to the care of 
some friendly Indians, who promised to convey them in a 
boat around the head of Lake Michigan to a point* on 

* The spot now called Bertrand, then known as Pare aux Vaches, from 
its having been a favorite " stamping-ground" of the buffalo which then 
abounded in the country. 



NARRATIVE OF THE MASSACRE. 175 

the St. Joseph's River, there to be joined by the troops, 
should the prosecution of their march be permitted them. 

Early in the morning Mr. Kinzie received a message 
from To-pee-nee-bee, a chief of the St. Joseph's band, in- 
forming him that mischief was intended by the Potto- 
wattamies who had engaged to escort the detachment, 
and urging him to relinquish his design of accompanying 
the troops by land, promising him that the boat containing 
himself and family should be permitted to pass in safety 
to St. Joseph's. 

Mr. Kinzie declined acceding to this proposal, as he 
believed that his presence might operate as a restraint 
upon the fury of the savages, so warmly were the greater 
part of them attached to himself and his family. 

The party in the boat consisted of Mrs. Kinzie and her 
four younger children, their nurse Josette, a clerk of Mr. 
Kinzie's, two servants and the boatmen, besides the two 
Indians who acted as their protectors. The boat started, 
but had scarcely reached the mouth of the river, which, it 
will be recollected, was here half a mile below the fort, 
when another messenger from To-pee-nee-bee arrived to 
detain them where they were. There was no mistaking 
the reason of this detention. 

In breathless anxiety sat the wife and mother. She 
was a woman of uncommon energy and strength of char- 
acter, yet her heart died within her as she folded her arms 
around her helpless infants, and gazed upon the march of 
her husband and eldest child to certain destruction. 

As the troops left the fort, the band struck up the Dead 
March. On they came, in military array, but with solemn 
mien. Captain Wells took the lead at the head of his 
little band of Miamis. He had blackened his face before 
leaving the garrison, in token of his impending fate. 
They took their route along the lake shore. When they 



176 THE EARLY DAY IN TEE NORTHWEST. 

reached the point where commenced a range of sand-hills 
intervening between the prairie and the beach, the escort 
of Pottowattamies, in number about five hundred, kept 
the level of the prairie, instead of continuing along the 
beach with the Americans and Miamis. 

They had marched perhaps a mile and a half, when 
Captain Wells, who had kept somewhat in advance with 
his Miamis, came riding furiously back. 

" They are about to attack us," shouted he ; "form in- 
stantly, and charge upon them." 

Scarcely were the words uttered, when a volley was 
showered from among the sand-hills. The troops were 
hastily brought into line, and charged up the bank. One 
man, a veteran of seventy winters, fell as they ascended. 
The remainder of the scene is best described in the words 
of an eye-witness and participator in the tragedy, Mrs. 
*Helm, the wife of Captain (then Lieutenant) Helm, and 
step-daughter of Mr. Kinzie. 



" After we had left the bank the firing became general. 
The Miamis fled at the outset. Their chief rode up to the 
Pottowattamies, and said : 

" ' You have deceived the Americans and us. You have 
done a bad action, and (brandishing his tomahawk) I will 
be the first to head a party of Americans to return and 
punish your treachery.' So saying, he galloped after his 
companions, who were now scouring across the prairies. 

" The troops behaved most gallantly. They were but 
a handful, but they seemed resolved to sell their lives as 
dearly as possible. Our horses pranced and bounded, and 
could hardly be restrained as the balls whistled among 
them. I drew off a little, and gazed upon my husband 
and father, who were yet unharmed. I felt that my hour 

* Mrs. Helm Is represented by the female figure in the bronze group erected by 
George M. Pullman, at the foot of 18th Street, to commemorate the massacre 
which took place at that spot. 



ITARRATIVE OF THE MASSACRE. 177 

was come, and endeavored to forget those I loved, and 
prepare myself for my approaching fate. 

" While I was thus engaged, the surgeon, Dr. Van 
Yoorhees, came up. He was badly wounded. His horse 
had been shot under him, and he had received a ball in 
his leg. Every muscle of his face was quivering with the 
agony of terror. He said to me, ' Do you think they 
will take our lives ? I am badly wounded, but I think 
not mortally. Perhaps we might purchase our lives by 
promising them a large reward. Do you think there is 
any chance?' 

" *Dr. Yan Voorhees,' said I, 'do not let us waste the 
few moments that yet remain to us in such vain hopes. 
Our fate is inevitable. In a few moments we must appear 
before the bar of God. Let us make what preparation 
is yet in our power.' 

"'Oh, I cannot die!' exclaimed he, 'I am not fit to 
die — if I had but a short time to prepare — death is 
awful !' 

" I pointed to Ensign Ronan, who, though mortally 
wounded and nearly down, was still fighting with des- 
peration on one knee.* 

'• ' Look at that man!' said I. 'At least he dies like a 
soldier.' 

" ' Yes,' replied the unfortunate man, with a convulsive 
gasp, ' but he has no terrors of the future — he is an un- 
believer !' 

"At this moment a young Indian raised his tomahawk' 
at me. By springing aside, I partially avoided the blow, 
which was intended for my skull, but which alighted on 
my shoulder. I seized him around the neck, and while ex- 



* The exact spot of this encounter was about where 21st Street crosses 
Indiana Avenue. 



ns "PSE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

erting my utmost efforts to get possession of his scalping- 
knife, which hung in a scabbard over his breast, I was 
dragged from his grasp by another and older Indian. 

" The latter bore me struggling and resisting towards 
the lake. Notwithstanding the rapidity with which I was 
hurried along, I recognized, as I passed them, the lifeless 
remains of the unfortunate surgeon. Some murderous 
tomahawk had stretched him upon the very spot where I 
had last seen him. 

" I was immediately plunged into the water and held 
there with a forcible hand, notwithstanding my resistance. 
I soon perceived, however, that the object of my captor 
was not to drown me, for he held me firmly in such a 
position as to place my head above water. This reas- 
sured me, and, regarding him attentively, I soon recog- 
nized, in spite of the paint with which he was disguised, 
The Black Pa7'tridge. 

" When the firing had nearly subsided, my preserver 
bore me from the water and conducted me up the sand- 
banks. It was a burning August morning, and walking 
through the sand in my drenched condition was inexpress- 
ibly painful and fatiguing. I stooped and took off my 
shoes to free them from the sand with which they were 
nearly filled, when a squaw seized and carried them off, 
and I was obliged to proceed without them. 

" When we had gained the prairie, I was met by my 
father, who told me that my husband was safe and but 
slightly wounded. They led me gently back towards the 
Chicago River, along the southern bank of which was the 
Pottowattamie encampment. At one time I was placed 
upon a horse without a saddle, but, finding the motion in- 
supportable, I sprang off. Supported partly by my kind 
conductor, Black Partridge, and partly by another Indian, 
Pee-so-tum, who held dangling in his hand a scalp, which 



NARRATIVE OF THE MASSACRE. ITO 

by the black ribbon around the queue I recognized as that 
of Captain Wells, I dragged my fainting steps to one of 
the wigwams. 

" The wife of Wau-bee-nee-mah, a chief from the Illinois 
River, was standing near, and, seeing my exhausted con- 
dition, she seized a kettle, dipped up some water from a 
stream that flowed near,* threw into it some maple-sugar, 
and, stin-ing it up with her hand, gave it me to drink. 
This act of kindness, in the midst of so many horrors, 
touched me most sensibly ; but my attention was soon 
diverted to other objects. 

" The fort had become a scene of plunder to such as re- 
mained after the troops marched out. The cattle had been 
shot down as they ran at large, and lay dead or dying 
around. This work of butchery had commenced just as 
we were leaving the fort. I well remembered a remark 
of Ensign Ronan, as the firing went on. * Such,' turning 
to me, * is to be our fate — to be shot down like brutes !' 

" * Well, sir,' said the commanding oflBcer, who over- 
heard him, ' are you afraid V 

" ' No,' replied the high-spirited young man, ' I can 
march up to the enemy where you dare not show your 
face.' And his subsequent gallant behavior showed this 
to be no idle boast. 

"As the noise of the firing grew gradually less and the 
stragglers from the victorious party came dropping in, I 
received confirmation of what my father had hurriedly 
communicated in our 7^encontre on the lake shore ; namely, 
that the whites had surrendered, after the loss of about 
two-thirds of their number. They had stipulated, through 
the interpreter, Peresh Leclerc, for the preservation of 
their lives, and those of the remaining women and chil- 

'* Along the present State Street. 



180 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

dren, and for their delivery at some of the British posts, 
unless ransomed by traders in the Indian country. It 
appears that the wounded prisoners were not considered 
as included in the stipulation, and a horrid scene ensued 
upon their being brought into camp. 

"An old squaw, infuriated by the loss of friends, or ex- 
cited by the sanguinary scenes around her, seemed pos- 
sessed by a demoniac ferocity. She seized a stable-fork 
and assaulted one miserable victim, who lay groaning and 
writhing in the agony of his wounds, aggravated by the 
scorching beams of the sun. With a delicacy of feeling 
scarcely to have been expected under such circumstances, 
Wau-bee-nee-mah stretched a mat across two poles, be- 
tween me and this dreadful scene. I was thus spared in 
some degree a view of its horrors, although I could not 
entirely close my ears to the cries of the sufferer. The 
following night five more of the wounded prisoners were 
tomahawked. " 

The Americans, it appears, after their first attack by the 
Indians, charged upon those who had concealed themselves 
in a sort of ravine, intervening between the sand-banks and 
the prairie. The latter gathered themselves into a body, 
and after some hard fighting, in which the number of 
whites had become reduced to twenty-eight, this little 
band succeeded in breaking through the enemy, and gain- 
ing a rising ground, not far from the Oak Woods. Further 
contest now seeming hopeless. Lieutenant Helm sent 
Peresh Leclerc, a half-breed boy in the service of Mr. 
Kinzie, who had accompanied the detachment and fought 
manfully on their side, to propose terms of capitulation. 
It was stipulated that the lives of all the survivors should 
be spared, and a ransom permitted as soon as practicable. 

But in the mean time a horrible scene had been enacted. 



NARRATIVE OF THE MASSACRE. 181 

One young savage, climbing into the baggage-wagon con- 
taining the children of the white families, twelve in num- 
ber, tomahawked the entire group. This was during the 
engagement near the sand-hills. When Captain Wells, 
who was fighting near, beheld it, he exclaimed, — 

" Is that their game, butchering the women and chil- 
dren? Then I will kill, too!" 

So saying, he turned his horse's head, and started for 
the Indian camp, near the fort, where had been left their 
squaws and children. 

Several Indians pursued him as he galloped along. He 
laid himself flat on the neck of his horse, loading and 
firing in that position, as he would occasionally turn on 
his pursuers. At length their balls took effect, killing his 
horse, and severely wounding himself. At this moment 
he was met by Winnemeg and Wau-han-see, who endea- 
vored to save him from the savages who had now over- 
taken him. As they supported him along, after having 
disengaged him from his horse, he received his death-blow 
from another Indian, Pee-so turn, who stabbed him in the 
back. 

The heroic resolution of one of the soldiers' wives de- 
serves to be recorded. She w^as a Mrs. Corbin, and had, 
from the first, expressed the determination never to fall 
into the hands of the savages, believing that their prisoners 
were always subjected to tortures worse than death. 

When, therefore, a party came upon her, to make her a 
prisoner, she fought with desperation, refusing to sur- 
render, although assured, by signs, of safety and kind 
treatment, and literally suffered herself to be cut to pieces, 
rather than become their captive. 

There was a Sergeant Holt, who, early in the engage- 
ment, received a ball in the neck. Finding himself badly 
wounded, he gave his sword to his wife, who was on horse- 

IG 



182 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

back near him, telling her to defend herself; he then made 
for the lake, to keep out of the way of the balls. Mrs. 
Holt rode a very fine horse, which the Indians were de- 
sirous of possessing, and they therefore attacked her, in 
hopes of dismounting her. 

They fought only with the butt-ends of their guns, for 
their object was not to kill her. She hacked and hewed at 
their pieces as they were thrust against her, now on this 
side, now that. Finally, she broke loose from them, and 
dashed out into the prairie. The Indians pursued her, 
shouting and laughing, and now and then calling out, — 

" The brave woman ! do not hurt her !" 

At length they overtook her again, and, while she was 
engaged with two or three in front, one succeeded in 
seizing her by the neck behind, and dragging her, although 
a large and powerful woman, from her horse. Notwith- 
standing that their guns had been so hacked and injured, 
and even themselves cut severely, they seemed to regard 
her only with admiration. They took her to a trader on 
the Illinois River, by whom she was restored to her friends, 
after having received every kindness during her captivity.* 

Those of the family of Mr. Kinzie who had remained 
in the boat, near the mouth of the river, were carefully 
guarded by Kee-po~tah and another Indian. They had 
seen the smoke — then the blaze — and immediately after, the 
report of the first tremendous discharge sounded in their 
ears. Then all was confusion They realized nothing until 
they saw an Indian come towards them from the battle- 
ground, leading a horse on which sat a lady, apparently 
wounded. 

" That is Mrs. Heald," cried Mrs. Kinzie. "That Indian 
will kill her. Run, Chandonnai," to one of Mr. Kinzie's 



* Mrs. Holt i3 believed to be still liviog, in the State of Ohio. 



NARRATIVE OF THE MASSACRE. 183 

clerks, "take the mule that is tied there, and offer it to him 
to release her." 

Her captor, by this time, was in the act of disengaging 
her bonnet from her head, in order to scalp her. Chan- 
donnai ran up, and offered the mule as a ransom, with the 
promise of ten bottles of whiskey as soon as they should 
reach his village. The latter was a strong temptation. 

" But," said the Indian, " she is badly wounded — 
she will die. Will you give me the whiskey at all 
events?" 

Chandonnai promised that he would, and the bargain 
was concluded. The savage placed the lady's bonnet on 
his own head, and, after an ineffectual effort on the part of 
some squaws to rob her of her shoes and stockings, she 
was brought on board the boat, where she lay moaning 
with pain from the many bullet-wounds she had received 
in both arms. 

The horse Mrs. Heald had ridden was a fine, spirited 
animal, and, being desirous of possessing themselves of it 
uninjured, the Indians had aimed their shots so as to dis- 
able the rider, without injuring her steed. 

She had not lain long in the boat, when a young Indian 
of savage aspect was seen appoaching. A buffalo robe 
was hastily drawn over her, and she was admonished to 
suppress all sound of complaint, as she valued her life. 

The heroic woman remained perfectly silent, while the 
savage drew near. He had a pistol in his hand, which he 
rested on the side of the boat, while, with a fearful scowl, 
he looked pryingly around. Black Jim, one of the ser- 
vants, who stood in the bow of the boat, seized an axe that 
lay near, and signed to him that if he shot, he would 
cleave his skull ; telling him that the boat contained only 
the family of Shaw-nee-aw-kee. Upon this, the Indian 
retired. It afterwards appeared that the object of his search 



184 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST, 

was Mr. Burnett, a trader from St. Joseph's, with whom 
he had some account to settle. 

When the boat was at length permitted to return to the 
mansion of Mr. Kinzie, and Mrs. Heald was removed to 
the house, it became necessary to dress her wounds. 

Mr. K. applied to an old chief who stood by, and who, 
like most of his tribe, possessed some skill in surgery, to 
extract a ball from the arm of the sufferer. 

" No, father," replied he. "I cannot do it — it makes me 
sick here" — (placing his hand on his heart.) 

Mr. Kinzie then performed the operation himself, with 
his penknife. 

At their own mansion the family of Mr. Kinzie were 
closely guarded by their Indian friends, whose intention it 
was to carry them to Detroit for security. The rest of 
the prisoners remained at the wigwams of their captors. 

The following morning, the work of plunder being com- 
pleted, the Indians set fire to the fort. A very equitable 
distribution of the finery appeared to have been made, and 
shawls, ribbons, and feathers fluttered about in all direc- 
tions. The ludicrous appearance of one young fellow, who 
had arrayed himself in a muslin gown and the bonnet of 
one of the ladies, would, under other circumstances, have 
afforded matter of amusement. 

Black Partridge, Wau-ban-see, and Kee-po-tah, with two 
other Indians, having established themselves in the porch 
of the building as sentinels, to protect the family from any 
evil that the young men might be excited to commit, all 
remained tranquil for a short space after the conflagration. 

Very soon, however, a party of Indians from the Wa- 
bash made their appearance. These were, decidedly, the 
most hostile and implacable of all the tribes of the Potto- 
wattamies. 

Being more remote, they had shared less than some of 



NARRATIVE OF THE MASSACRE. 185 

their brethren in the kindness of Mr. Kinzie and his family, 
and consequently their sentiments of regard for them were 
less powerful. 

Runners had been sent to the villages to apprise them 
of the intended evacuation of the post, as well as of the 
plan of the Indians assembled to attack the troops. 

Thirsting to participate in such a scene, they hurried on ; 
and great was their mortification, ou arriving at the river 
Aux Plaines, to meet with a party of their friends having 
with them their chief Nee-scot-uee-meg, badly wounded, 
and to learn that the battle was over, the spoils divided, 
and the scalps all taken. 

On arriving at Chicago they blackened their faces, and 
proceeded towards the dwelling of Mr. Kinzie. 

From his station on the piazza Black Partridge had 
watched their approach, and his fears were particularly 
awakened for the safety of Mrs. Helm (Mr. Kinzie's step- 
daughter), who had recently come to the post, and was 
personally unknown to the more remote Indians. By his 
advice she was made to assume the ordinary dress of a 
Frenchwoman of the country ; namely, a short gown and 
petticoat, with a blue cotton handkerchief wrapped around 
her head. In this disguise she was conducted by Black 
Partridge himself to the house of Ouilmette, a French- 
man with a half-breed wife, who formed a part of the es- 
tablishment of Mr. Kinzie and whose dwelling was close 
at hand. 

It so happened that the Indians came first to this house, 
in their search for prisoners. As they approached, the 
inmates, fearful that the fair complexion and general ap- 
pearance of Mrs. Helm might betray her for an American, 
raised a large feather bed and placed her under the edge 
of it, upon the bedstead, with her face to the wall. Mrs. 
Bisson, a half-breed, the sister of Ouilmette's wife, then 

16* 



186 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

seated herself with her sewing upon the front of the 
bed. 

It was a hot day in August, and the feverish excitement 
of fear and agitation, together with her position, which 
was nearly suffocating, became so intolerable, that Mrs. 
Helm at length entreated to be released and given up to 
the Indians. 

" I can but die," said she; " let them put an end to my 
misery at once." 

Mrs. Bisson replied, " Your death would be the destruc- 
tion of us all, for Black Partridge has resolved that if one 
drop of the blood of your family is spilled, he will take 
the lives of all concerned in it, even his nearest friends; 
and if once the work of murder commences, there will be 
no end of it, so long as there remains one white person 
or half-breed in the country." 

This expostulation nerved Mrs. Helm with fresh resolu- 
tion. 

The Indians entered, and she could occasionally see 
them from her hiding-place, gliding about, and stealthily 
inspecting every part of the room, though without making 
any ostensible search, until, apparently satisfied that there 
was no one concealed, they left the house. 

All this time Mrs. Bisson had kept her seat upon the 
side of the bed, calmly sorting and arranging the patch- 
work of the quilt on which she was engaged, and preserv- 
ing an appearance of the utmost tranquillity, although she 
knew not but that the next moment she might receive a 
tomahawk in her brain. Her self-command unquestionably 
saved the lives of all present. 

From Ouilmette's house the party of Indians proceeded 
to the dwelling of Mr. Kinzie. They entered the parlor 
in which the family were assembled with their faithful 
protectors, and seated themselves upon the floor in silence. 



NARRATIVE OF THE MASSACRE. 187 

Black Partridge perceived from their moody and re- 
vengeful looks what was passing in their minds, but he 
dared not remonstrate with them. He only observed in a 
low tone to Wau-ban-see, — 

" We have endeavored to save our friends, but it is in 
vain — nothing will save them now." 

At this moment a friendly whoop was heard from a 
party of new-comers on the opposite bank of the river. 
Black Partridge sprang to meet their leader, as the canoes 
in which they had hastily embarked touched the bank near 
the house. 

" Who are you ?" demanded he. 

" A man. Who are you ?" 

"A man like yourself. But tell me who you are," — 
meaning, Tell me your disposition, and which side you are 
for. 

" I am a Sau-ga-nash !^^ 

" Then make all speed to the house — your friend is in 
danger, and you alone can save him." 

Billy Caldwell* for it was he, entered the parlor with 
a calm step, and without a trace of agitation in his 
manner. He deliberately took off his accoutrements and 
placed them with his rifle behind the door, then saluted 
the hostile savages. 

"How now, my friends! A good-day to you. I was 
told there were enemies here, but I am glad to find only 
friends. Why have you blackened your faces ? Is it that 
you are mourning for the friends you have lost in battle ?" 
(purposely misunderstanding this token of evil designs.) 

* Billy Caldwell was a half-breed, and a chief of the nation. In his 
reply, " I am a Sau-ga-naah," or Englishman, he designed to convey, " I 
am a white man." Had he said, *• / am a Pottowattamie,^' it would have 
becM interpreted to mean, " I belong to my nation, and am prepared to 
go all lengths with them." 



188 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

" Or is it that you are fasting ? If so, ask our friend, 
here, and he will give you to eat. He is the Indian's 
friend, and never yet refused them what they had need of." 

Thus taken by surprise, the savages were ashamed to 
acknowledge their bloody purpose. They, therefore, said 
modestly that they came to beg of their friends some white 
cotton in which to wrap their dead before interring them. 
This was given to them, with some other presents, and 
they took their departure peaceably from the premises. 

Along with Mr. Kinzie's party was a non-commissioned 
officer who had made his escape in a singular manner. 
As the troops were about leaving the fort, it was found 
that the baggage-horses of the surgeon had strayed off. 
The quartermaster-sergeant, Griffith, was sent to collect 
them and bring them on, it being absolutely necessary to 
recover them, since their packs contained part of the sur- 
geon's apparatus, and the medicines for the march. 

This man had been for a long time on the sick report, 
and for this reason was given the charge of the baggage, 
instead of being placed with the troops. His efforts to 
recover the horses being unsuccessful, he was hastening 
to rejoin his party, alarmed at some appearances of dis- 
order and hostile indications among the Indians, when he 
was met and made prisoner by To-pee-nee-bee. 

Having taken from him his arms and accoutrements, 
the chief put him into a canoe and paddled him across the 
river, bidding him make for the woods and secrete himself. 
This he did ; and the following day, in the afternoon, see- 
ing from his lurking-place that all appeared quiet, he ven- 
tured to steal cautiously into the garden of Ouilmette, 
where he concealed himself for a time behind some cur- 
rant-bushes. 

At length he determined to enter the house, and accord- 
ingly climbed up through a small back window into the 



NARRATIVE OF THE MASSACRE. 189 

room where the family were. This was just as the Wa- 
bash Indians had left the house of Ouilmette for that of 
Mr. Kinzie. The danger of the sergeant was now immi- 
nent. The family stripped him of his uniform and arrayed 
hioi in a suit of deer-skin, with belt, moccasins, and pipe, 
like a French engage. His dark complexion and large 
black whiskers favored the disguise. The family were all 
ordered to address him in French, and, although utterly 
ignorant of the language, he continued to pass for a Weem- 
tee-go8h* and as such to accompany Mr. Kinzie and his 
family, undetected by his enemies, until they reached a 
place of safety. 

On the third day after the battle, the family of Mr. 
Kinzie, with the clerks of the establishment, were put 
into a boat, under the care of Fran9ois, a half-breed inter- 
preter, and conveyed to St. Joseph's, where they remained 
until the following November, under the protection of To- 
pee-nee-bee's band. They were then conducted to Detroit, 
under the escort of Chandonnai and their trusty Indian 
friend, Ke-po-tah, and delivered up, as prisoners of war, to 
Colonel McKee, the British Indian Agent. 

Mr. Kinzie was not allowed to leave St. Joseph's with 
his family, his Indian friends insisting on his remaining 
and endeavoring to secure some remnant of his scattered 
property. During his excursions with them for that pur- 
pose, he wore the costume and paint of the tribe, in order 
to escape capture and perhaps death at the hands of those 
who were still thirsting for blood. In time, however, his 
anxiety for his family induced him to follow them to De- 
troit, where, in the month of January, he was received and 
paroled by General Proctor. 

Captain and Mrs. Heald were sent across the lake to 

* Frenchman. 



190 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

St. Joseph the day after the battle. The former had re- 
ceived two wounds, the latter seven, in the engagement. 

Lieutenant Helm, who was likewise wounded, was car- 
ried by some friendly Indians to their village on the Au 
Sable, and thence to Peoria, where he was liberated by 
the intervention of Mr. Thomas Forsyth, the half-brother 
of Mr. Kinzie. Mrs. Helm accompanied her parents to 
St. Joseph, where they resided in the family of Alexander 
Robinson,* receiving from them all possible kindness and 
hospitality for several months. 

After their arrival in Detroit, Mrs. Helm was joined by 
her husband, when they were both arrested by order of the 
British commander, and sent on horseback, in the dead 
of winter, through Canada to Fort George, on the Niagara 
frontier. When they arrived at that post, there had been 
no official appointed to receive them, and, notwithstanding 
their long and fatiguing journey in weather the most cold 
and inclement, Mrs. Helm, a delicate woman of seventeen 
years, was permitted to sit waiting in her saddle, outside 
the gate, for more than an hour, before the refreshment of 
fire or food, or even the shelter of a roof, was offered them. 
When Colonel Sheaflfe, who had been absent at the time, 
was informed of this brutal inhospitalit}^, he expressed the 
greatest indignation. He waited on Mrs. Helm immedi- 
ately, apologized in the most courteous manner, and treated 
both her and Lieutenant Helm with the most considerate 
kindness, until, by an exchange of prisoners, they were 
liberated, and found means to reach their friends in Steuben 
County, N. Y. 

Captain Heald had been taken prisoner by an Indian 
from the Kankakee, who had a strong personal regard for 



* The Pottowattamie chief, so well known to many of the citizens of 
Chicago, now (1870) residing at the Aux Plaines. 



NARRATIVE OF THE MASSACRE. 191 

him, and who, when he saw the wounded and enfeebled 
state of Mrs. Heald, released her husband that he might 
accompany his wife to St. Joseph. To the latter place 
they were accordingly carried, as has been related, by 
Chandonnai and his party. In the mean time, the Indian 
who had so nobly released his prisoner returned to his 
village on the Kankakee, where he had the mortification 
of finding that his conduct had excited great dissatisfaction 
among his band. So great was the displeasure manifested, 
that he resolved to make a journey to St. Joseph and re- 
claim his prisoner. 

News of his intention being brought to To-pee-nee-bee 
and Kee-po-tah, under whose care the prisoners were, they 
held a private council with Chandonnai, Mr. Kinzie, and 
the principal men of the village, the result of which was 
a determination to send Captain and Mrs. Heald to the 
island of Mackinac, and deliver them up to the British. 

They were accordingly put in a bark canoe, and paddled 
by Robinson and his wife a distance of three hundred 
miles along the coast of Michigan, and surrendered as 
prisoners of war to the commanding officer at Mackinac. 

As an instance of the procrastinating spirit of Captain 
Heald, it may be mentioned that, even after he had received 
certain intelligence that his Indian captor was on his way 
from the Kankakee to St. Joseph to retake him, he would 
still have delayed another day at that place, to make prep- 
aration for a more comfortable journey to Mackinac. 

The soldiers, with their wives and surviving children, 
were dispersed among the different villages of the Potto- 
wattamies upon the Illinois, Wabash, Rock River, and at 
Milwaukie, until the following spring, when they were, for 
the most part, carried to Detroit and ransomed. 

Mrs. Burns, with her infant, became the prisoner of a 
chief, who carried her to his village and treated her with 



192 '^EtE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

great kindness. His wife, from jealousy of the favor shown 
to "the white woman'" and her child, always treated them 
with great hostility. On one occasion she struck the infant 
with a tomahawk, and narrowly missed her aim of putting 
an end to it altogether.* They were not left long in the 
power of the old hag after this demonstration, but on the 
first opportunity were carried to a place of safety. 

The family of Mr. Lee had resided in a house on the 
Lake shore, not far from the fort. Mr. Lee was the owner 
of Lee's Place, which he cultivated as a farm. It was his 
son who ran down with the discharged soldier to give the 
alarm of " Indians," at the fort, on the afternoon of the tth 
of April. The father, the son, and all the other members 
of the family had fallen victims on the 15th of August, 
except Mrs. Lee and her young infant. These were claimed 
by Black Partridge, and carried to his village on the Au 
Sable. He had been particularly attached to a little girl 
of Mrs. Lee's, about twelve years of age. This child had 
been placed on horseback for the march; and, as she was 
unaccustomed to the exercise, she was tied fast to the 
saddle, lest by any accident she should slip off or be 
thrown. 

She was within reach of the balls at the commencement 
of the engagement, and was severely wounded. The 
horse set off on a full gallop, which partly threw her, but 
she was held fast by the bands which confined her, and 
hung dangling as the animal ran violently about. In this 
state she was met by Black Partridge, who caught the 
horse and disengaged her from the saddle. Finding her 
so much wounded that she could not recover, and that she 



* Twenty-two years after thi?, as I was on a journey to Chicago in the 
steamer Uncle Sam, a young woman, hearing my name, introduced her- 
self to me, and, raising the hair from her forehead, showed me the mark 
of the tomahawk which had so nearly been fatal to her. 



NARRATIVE OF THE MASSACRE. 193 

was suffering great agony, he put the finishing stroke to 
her at once with his tomahawk. He afterwards said that 
this was the hardest thing he ever tried to do, but he did 
it because he could not bear to see her suffer. 

He took the mother and her infant to his village, where 
he became warmly attached to the former — so much so, 
that he wished to marry her ; but, as she very naturally 
objected, he treated her with the greatest respect and con- 
sideration. He was in no hurry to release her, for he was 
in hopes of prevailing on her to become his wife. In the 
course of the winter her child fell ill. Finding that none 
of the remedies within their reach were effectual. Black 
Partridge proposed to take the little one to Chicago, where 
there was now a French trader living in the mansion of 
Mr. Kinzie, and procure some medical aid from him. 
Wrapping up his charge with the greatest care, he set out 
on his journey. 

When he arrived at the residence of M. Du Pin, he en- 
tered the room where he was, and carefully placed his 
burden on the floor. 

" What have you there ?" asked M. Du Pin. 

"A young raccoon, which I have brought you as a pres- 
ent," was the reply; and, opening the pack, he showed the 
little sick infant. 

When the trader had prescribed for its complaint, and 
Black Partridge was about to return to his home, he 
told his friend of the proposal he had made to Mrs. Lee 
to become his wife, and the manner in which it had been 
received. 

M. Du Pin, entertaining some fears that the chiefs hon- 
orable resolution to leave it to the lady herself whether 
to accept his addresses or not, might not hold out, en- 
tered at once into a negotiation for her ransom, and so 
effectually wronn^ht upon the good feelings of Black Par- 
^ ' 17 



194 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

tridge that he consented to bring his fair prisoner at once 
to Chicago, that she might be restored to her friends. 

Whether the kind trader had at the outset any other 
feeling in the matter than sympathy and brotherly kind- 
ness, we cannot say ; we only know that in process of 
time Mrs. Lee became Madame Du Pin, and that the 
worthy couple lived together in great happiness for many 
years after. 

The fate of Nau-non-gee, one of the chiefs of the Calu- 
met village, and who is mentioned in the early part of the 
narrative, deserves to be recorded. 

During the battle of the 15th of August, the chief object 
of his attack was one Sergeant Hays, a man from whom 
he had received many acts of kindness. 

After Hays had received a ball through the body, this 
Indian ran up to him to tomahawk him, when the ser- 
geant, collecting his remaining strength, pierced him 
through the body with his bayonet. They fell together. 
Other Indians running up soon dispatched Hays, and it 
was not until then that his bayonet was extracted from 
the body of his adversary. 

The wounded chief was carried after the battle to his 
village on the Calumet, where he survived for several 
days. Finding his end approaching, he called together his 
young men, and enjoined them, in the most solemn manner, 
to regard the safety of their prisoners after his death, and 
to take the lives of none of them from respect to his 
memory, as he deserved his fate from the hands of those 
whose kindness he had so ill requited. 



CAPTIVITY OF J. KINZIE, SENIOR 195 



CHAPTER XX. 

CAPTIVITY OF J. KINZIE, SEN. — AN AMUSING MISTAKE. 

It had been a stipulation of General Hull at the sur- 
render of Detroit, which took place the day after the mas- 
sacre at Chicago, that the inhabitants should be permitted 
to remain undisturbed in their homes. Accordingly, the 
family of Mr. Kinzie took up their quarters with their 
friends in the old mansion, which many will still recollect 
as standing on the northwest corner of Jefferson Avenue 
and Wayne Street. 

The feelings of indignation and sympathy were con- 
stantly aroused in the hearts of the citizens during the 
winter that ensued. They were almost daily called upon 
to witness the cruelties practised upon the American pris- 
oners brought in by their Indian captors. Those who 
could scarcely drag their wounded, bleeding feet over the 
frozen ground, were compelled to dance for the amusement 
of the savages; and these exhibitions sometimes took place 
before the Government House, the residence of Colonel 
McKee. Some of the British officers looked on from their 
windows at these heart-rending performances ; for the honor 
of humanity, we will hope such instances were rare. 

Everything that could be made available among the ef- 
fects of the citizens was oflfered, to ransom their country- 
men from the hands of these inhuman beings. The pris- 
oners brought in from the River Raisin — those unfortunate 
men who were permitted, after their surrender to General 
Proctor, to be tortured and murdered by inches by his 
savage allies — excited the sympathies and called for the ac- 



196 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

tion of the whole commuDity. Private houses were turned 
into hospitals, and every one was forward to get posses- 
sion of as many as possible of the survivors. To effect 
this, even the articles of their apparel were bartered by 
the ladies of Detroit, as they watched from their doors or 
windows the miserable victims carried about for sale. 

In the dwelling of Mr. Kinzie one large room was de- 
voted to the reception of the sufferers. Few of them sur- 
vived. Among those spoken of as objects of the deepest 
interest were two young gentlemen of Kentucky, brothers, 
both severely wounded, and their wounds aggravated to 
a mortal degree by subsequent ill usage and hardships. 
Their solicitude for each other, and their exhibition in 
various ways of the most tender fraternal affection, created 
an impression never to be forgotten. 

The last bargain made was by black Jim, and one of 
the children, who had permission to redeem a negro ser- 
vant of the gallant Colonel Allen, with an old white horse, 
the only available article that remained among their pos- 
sessions. 

A brother of Colonel Allen afterwards came to Detroit, 
and the negro preferred returning to servitude rather than 
remaining a stranger in a strange land. 

Mr. Kinzie, as has been related, joined his family at 
Detroit in the month of January. A short time after, sus- 
picions arose in the mind of General Proctor that he was 
in correspondence with General Harrison, who was now 
at Fort Meigs, and who was believed to be meditating an 
advance upon Detroit. Lieutenant Watson, of the British 
army, waited upon Mr. Kinzie one day with an invitation 
to the quarters of General Proctor on the opposite side of 
the river, saying he wished to speak with him, on busi- 
ness. Quite unsuspicious, he complied with the invitation, 
when to his surprise he was ordered into confinement, and 



CAPTIVITY OF J. KTNZIE, SENIOR 19 ^ 

strictly guarded in the bouse of his former partner, Mr. 
Patterson, of Sandwich. Finding that he did not return 
to his home, Mrs. Kinzie informed some of the Indian 
chiefs, his particular friends, who immediately repaired to 
the head-quarters of the commanding officer, demanded 
" their friend's" release, and brought him back to his home. 
After waiting a time until a favorable opportunity pre- 
sented itself, the General sent a detachment of dragoons 
to arrest Mr. Kinzie. They had succeeded in carrying 
him away, and crossing the river with him. Just at this 
moment a party of friendly Indians made their appear- 
ance. 

" Where is the Shaw-nee-aw-kee ?" was the first ques- 
tion. 

" There," replied his wife, pointing across the river, 
" in the hands of the red-coats, who are taking him away 
again." 

The Indians ran to the river, seized some canoes that 
they found there, and, crossing over to Sandwich, com- 
pelled General Proctor a second time to forego his in- 
tentions. 

A third time this officer made the attempt, and suc- 
ceeded in arresting Mr. Kinzie and conveying him heavily 
ironed to Fort Maiden, in Canada, at the mouth of the 
Detroit River. Here he was at first treated with great 
severity, but after a time the rigor of his confinement was 
somewhat relaxed, and he was permitted to walk on the 
bank of the river for air and exercise. 

On the 10th of September, as he was taking his prom- 
enade under the close supervision of a guard of soldiers, 
the whole party were startled by the sound of guns upon 
Lake Erie, at no great distance below. What could it 
mean ? It must be Commodore Barclay firing into some 
of the Yankees. The firing continued. The time allotted 

17* 



198 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

the prisoner for his daily walk expired, but neither he nor 
his guard observed the lapse of time, so anxiously were 
they listening to what they now felt sure was an engage- 
ment between ships of war. At length Mr. Kinzie was 
reminded that the hour for his return to confinement had 
arrived. He petitioned for another half-hour. 

"Let me stay," said he, "till we can learn how the 
battle has gone," 

Very soon a sloop appeared under press of sail, round- 
ing the point, and presently two gun-boats in chase of 
her. 

"She is running — she bears the British colors," cried 
he — " yes, yes, they are lowering — she is striking her flag ! 
Now," turning to the soldiers, " I will go back to prison 
contented — I know how the battle has gone." 

The sloop was the Little Belt, the last of the squadron 
captured by the gallant Perry on that memorable occasion 
which he announced in the immortal words : 

" We have met the enemy, and they are ours 1" 

Matters were growing critical, and it was necessary to 
transfer all prisoners to a place of greater security than 
the frontier was now likely to be. It was resolved there- 
fore to send Mr. Kinzie to the mother-country. Nothing 
has ever appeared which would explain the course of 
General Proctor in regard to this gentleman. He had 
been taken from the bosom of his family, where he was 
living quietly under the parole which he had received, and 
protected by the stipulations of the surrender. He was 
kept for months in confinement. Now he was placed on 
horseback under a strong guard, who announced that they 
had orders to shoot him through the head if he offered to 
speak to a person upon the road. He was tied upon the 
saddle to prevent his escape, and thus they set out for 
Quebec. A little incident occurred, which will help to 



CAPTIVITY OF J. KINZIE, SENIOR. I99 

illustrate the course invariably pursued towards our citi- 
zens, at this period, by the British army on the North- 
western frontier. 

The saddle on which Mr. Kinzie rode had not been 
properly fastened, and, owing to the rough motion of the 
animal on which it was, it turned, so as to bring the rider 
into a most awkward and painful position. His limbs 
being fastened, he could not disengage himself, and in this 
manner he was compelled by those w^ho had charge of 
him to ride until he was nearly exhausted, before they 
had the humanity to release him. 

Arrived at Quebec, he was put on board a small vessel 
to be sent to England. The vessel when a few days out 
at sea was chased by an American frigate and driven into 
Halifax. A second time she set sail, when she sprung a 
leak and was compelled to put back. 

The attempt to send him across the ocean was now 
abandoned, and he was returned to Quebec. Another 
step, equally inexplicable with his arrest, was soon after 
taken. This w^as, his release and that of Mr. Macomb, of 
Detroit, who was also in confinement in Quebec, and the 
permission given them to return to their friends and fami- 
lies, although the war was not yet ended. It may possi- 
bly be imagined that in the treatment these gentlemen 
received, the British commander-in-chief sheltered him- 
self under the plea of their being " native-born British 
subjects," and perhaps when it was ascertained that Mr. 
Kinzie was indeed a citizen of the United States it was 
thought safest to release him. 

In the mean time, General Harrison at the head of his 
troops had reached Detroit. He landed on the 29th of 
September. All the citizens went forth to meet him — 
Mrs. Kinzie. leading her children by the hand, was of the 
number. The General accompanied her to her home, and 



200 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

took up his abode there. On his arrival he was introduced 
to Kee-po-tah, who happened to be on a visit to the family 
at that time. The General had seen the chief the pre- 
ceding year, at the Council at Vincennes, and the meeting 
was one of great cordiality and interest. 



In 1816, Mr. Kinzie and his family again returned to 
Chicago. The fort was rebuilt on a somewhat larger scale 
than the former one. It was not until the return of the 
troops that the bones of the unfortunate Americans who 
had been massacred four years before, were collected and 
buried. 

An Indian Agency, under the charge of Charles Jewett, 
Esq., of Kentucky, was established. He was succeeded 
in 1820 by Dr. Alexander Wolcott, of Connecticut, who 
occupied that position until his death in 1830. 

The troops were removed from the garrison in 1823, 
but restored in 1828, after the Winnebago war. This was 
a disturbance between the Winuebagoes and white settlers 
on and near the Mississippi. After some murders had 
been committed, the young chief, Red Bird, was taken 
and imprisoned at Prairie du Chien to await his trial, 
where he committed suicide in consequence of chagrin and 
the irksomeness of confinement. It was feared that the 
Pottowattamies would make common cause with the 
Winnebagoes, and commence a general system of havoc 
and bloodshed on the frontier. They were deterred from 
such a step, probably, by the exertions of Billy Caldwell, 
Robinson, and Shau-bee-nay, who made an expedition 
among the Rock River bands, to argue and persuade them 
into remaining tranquil. 

The few citizens of Chicago in those days, lived for the 
most part a very quiet, unvaried life. The great abun- 



CAPTIVITY OF J. KIN Z IE, SENIOR. 201 

dance of game, and the immense fertility of the lands they 
cultivated, furnished them with a superabundance of all 
the luxuries of garden, corn-field, and dairy The ques- 
tion was once asked by a friend in the " East countrie," 

" How do you dispose of all the good things you raise ? 
You have no market?" "No." "And you cannot con- 
sume them all yourselves ?" " No." " What then do you 
do with them ?" 

"Why, we manage, when a vessel arrives, to persuade 
the captain to accept a few kegs of butter, and stores of 
corn and vegetables, as a present, and that helps us to 
get rid of some of our overplus." 

The mails arrived, as may be supposed, at very rare 
intervals. They were brought occasionally from Fort 
Clark (Peoria), but more frequently from Fort Wayne, or 
across the peninsula of Michigan, which was still a wilder- 
ness peopled with savages. The hardy adventurer who 
acted as express was, not unfrequently, obliged to imitate 
the birds of heaven and " lodge among the branches," in 
order to insure the safety of himself and his charge. 

Visitors were very rare, unless it was a friend who 
came to sojourn for several months and share a life in the 
wilderness. A traveller, however, occasionally found his 
way to the spot, in passing to or from " parts unknown," 
and such a one was sure of a hospitable and hearty 
welcome. 

A gentleman journeying from the southern settlements 
once arrived late in the evening at Wolf Point, where was 
then the small trading-establishment of George Hunt and 
a Mr. Wallace. He stopped and inquired if he could have 
accommodation for the night for himself and his horse. 
The answer was, that they were ill provided to entertain 
a stranger — the house was small, and they were keeping 
" bachelor's hall." 



202 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

" Is there no place," inquired the traveller, " where I 
can obtain a lodging ?" 

** Oh, yes — you will find a very comfortable house, Mr. 
Kinzie's, about half a mile below, near the mouth of the 
river." 

The stranger turned his horse's head and took the road 
indicated. Arrived at the spot, his first inquiry was, — 

" Is this the residence of Mr. Kinzie ?" 

" Yes, sir." 

" I should be glad to get accommodation for myself and 
horse." 

" Certainly, sir — walk in." 

The horse was taken to the stable, while the gentleman 
was ushered into a parlor where were two ladies. The 
usual preliminary questions and answers were gone 
through, for in a new country people soon become ac- 
quainted, and the gentleman ere long found himself seated 
at a comfortable hot supper — we will venture to say a fine 
supper, since the table in this domestic establishment has 
always been somewhat famous. 

Apparently, the gentleman enjoyed it, for he made him- 
self quite at home. He even called for a boot-jack after 
tea, and drew off his boots. The ladies were a little sur- 
prised, but they had lived a good while out of the world, 
and they did not know what changes in etiquette. might 
have taken place during their retirement. 

Before taking his leave for the night, the traveller sig- 
nified what it would please him to have for breakfast, 
which was duly prepared. The next day proved stormy. 
The gentleman was satisfied with his quarters, and, hav- 
ing taken care to ascertain that there was no neglect or 
deficiency of accommodation so far as his horse was con- 
cerned, he got through the day very comfortably. 

Now and then, when he was tired of reading, he would 



CAPTIVITY OF J. KINZIE, SENIOR. '2015 

converse with the family, and seemed, upon the whole, by 
no means disposed to hold himself aloof, but to indulge in 
a little becoming sociability, seeing they were all there 
away in the woods. 

The second day the weather brightened. The traveller 
signified his intention to depart. He ordered his horse to 
the door — then he called for his bill. 

" My house is not a tavern, sir," was the astounding 
reply. 

"Not a tavern! Good heavens I have I been making 
myself at home in this manner in a private family ?" 

He was profuse in his apologies, which, however, were 
quite unnecessary, for the family had perceived from the 
first the mistake he had fallen into, and they had amused 
themselves during his whole visit in anticipating the con- 
sternation of their guest when he should be undeceived. 



It was in the year 1816 (the year of the rebuilding 
of the fort, after its destruction by the Indians) that the 
tract of land on which Chicago stands, together with the 
surrounding country, was ceded to the United States 
by the Potto wattamies. They remained the peaceful 
occupants of it, however, for twenty years longer. It was 
not until 1836 that they were removed by Government to 
lands appropriated for their use on the Upper Missouri. 

In the year 1830 the town of Chicago was laid out into 
lots by Commissioners appointed by the State. At this 
time the prices of these lots ranged from ten to sixty 
dollars. 

Mr. Kinzie, who, from the geographical position of this 
place, and the vast fertility of the surrounding country, 
had always foretold its eventual prosperity and importance, 



204 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

was not permitted to witness the realization of his predic- 
tions. He closed his useful and energetic life on the 6th 
of January, 1828, having just completed his sixty-fifth 
year. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



A SERMON. 



Chicago was not, at the period of my first visit, the 
cheerful, happy place it had once been. The death of Dr. 
Wolcott, of Lieutenant Furman, and of a promising young 
son of Mr. Beaubien, all within a few weeks of each other, 
had thrown a gloom over the difi'erent branches of the 
social circle. 

The weather, too, was inclement and stormy beyond 
anything that had been known before. Only twice, dur- 
ing a period of two months, did the sun shine out through 
the entire day. So late as the second week in April, 
when my husband had left to return to Fort Winnebago, 
the storms were so severe that he and his men were 
obliged to lie by two or three days in an Indian lodge. 

Robert Kinzie, Medard Beaubien, and Billy Caldwell 
had gone at the same time to the Calumet to hunt, and, 
as they did not make their appearance for many days, we 
were persuaded they had perished with cold. They re- 
turned at length, however, to our infinite joy, having only 
escaped freezing by the forethought of Robert and Cald- 
well in carrying each two blankets instead of one. 

Our only recreation was an occasional ride on horseback, 
when the weather would permit, through the woods on the 



A SERMON. 205 

north side of the river, or across the prairie, along the lake 
shore on the south. 

When we went in the former direction, a little bridle- 
path took us along what is now Rush Street. The thick 
boughs of the trees arched over our heads, and we were 
often compelled, as we rode, to break away the projecting 
branches of the shrubs which impeded our path. The little 
prairie west of Wright's Woods was the usual termination 
of our ride in this direction. 

When we chose the path across the prairie towards the 
south, we generally passed a new-comer. Dr. Harmon, 
superintending the construction of a sod fence, at a spot 
he had chosen, near the shore of the lake. In this in- 
closure he occupied himself, as the season advanced, in 
planting fruit-stones of all descriptions, to make ready a 
garden and orchard for future enjoyment. 

We usually stopped to have a little chat. The two 
favorite themes of the Doctor were horticulture, and the 
certain future importance of Chicago. That it was destined 
to be a great city, was his unalterable conviction ; and in 
deed, by this time, all forest and prairie as it was, we half 
began to believe it ourselves. 

On the pleasant afternoons which we occasionally en- 
joyed as the season advanced, we found no small amuse- 
ment in practising pistol-firing. The place appropriated to 
this sport was outside the pickets, the mark being placed 
on a panel in one of the bastions. The gentlemen must 
not be ofifended if I record that, in process of time, the 
ladies acquired a degree of skill that enabled them, as a 
general thing, to come off triumphant. One of the ladies, 
Mrs Hunter, was a great shot, having brought down her 
grouse on the wing, to the no small delight of one of the 
oflficers. Captain Martin Scott, of raccoon celebrity. 

Now and then there was a little excitement within the 
18 



206 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

fort, aroused by the discovery that a settler had been en- 
gaged in selling milk-punch, instead of milk, to the soldiers, 
thereby interfering in no small degree with the regularity 
and perfect discipline of the service. The first step wa& 
to "drum out" the offender with all the honors of war — 
that is, with a party-colored dress, and the Rogue's March 
played behind him. The next, to place all the victims of 
this piece of deception in the guard-house, where the com- 
manding officer's lady supplied them bountifully with coffee 
and hot cakes, by way of opening their eyes to the enor- 
mity of their offence. It is not to be wondered at that the 
officers sometimes complained of its being more of a strife 
with the soldiers who should get into the guard-house, 
than who should keep out of it. The poor fellows knew 
when they were well off. 

Once, upon a Sunday, we were rowed up to Wolf Point 
to attend a religious service, conducted by Father See, as 
he was called. 

We saw a tall, slender man, dressed in a green frock- 
coat, from the sleeves of which dangled a pair of hands 
giving abundant evidence, together with the rest of his 
dress, that he placed small faith in the axiom — " cleanli- 
ness is a part of holiness." 

He stepped briskly upon a little platform behind a table, 
and commenced his discourse. His subject was, " The 
fear of God." 

" There was a kind of fear," he told us, ''that was very 
nearly aZee-a-nated to love : so nearly, that it was not 
worth while splitting hairs for the difference." He then 
went on to describe this kind of fear. He grew more and 
more involved as he proceeded with his description, until 
at length, quite bewildered, he paused, and exclaimed, 
" Come, let's stop a little while, and clear away the brush." 
He unravelled, as well as he was able, the tangled thread 



A SERMON. 207 

of his ideas, and went on with his subject. But soon, 
again losing his way, he came to a second halt. " Now," 
said he, wiping the perspiration from his forehead with a 
red cotton handkerchief many degrees from clean, " now, 
suppose we drive back a little piece." Thus he recapitu- 
lated what he wished to impress upon us, of the necessity 
of cherishing a fear that maketh wise unto salvation, 
" which fear," said he, " may we all enjoy, that together 
we may soar away, on the rolling clouds of aether, to a 
boundless and happy eternity, which is the wish of your 
humble servant." And, flourishing abroad his hands, with 
the best of dancing-school bows, he took his seat. 

It will be readily imagined that we felt our own religious 
exercises at home to be more edifying than such as this, 
and that we confined ourselves to them for the future. 

The return of our brother, Robert Kinzie, from Palestine 
(not the Holy Land, but the seat of the Land Office), with 
the certificate of the title of the family to that portion of 
Chicago since known as "Kinzie's Addition," was looked 
upon as establishing a home for us at some future day, if 
the glorious dreams of good Dr. Harmon, and a few 
others, should come to be realized. One little incident 
will show how moderate were the anticipations of most 
persons at that period. 

The certificate, which was issued in Robert's name (he 
representing the family in making the application), de- 
scribed only a fractional quarter-section of one hundred 
and two acres, instead of one hundred and sixty acres, 
the river and Lake Michigan cutting oflf fifty-eight acres 
on the southern and eastern lines of the quarter. The 
applicants had liberty to select their complement of fifty- 
eight acres out of any unappropriated land that suited 
them. 

" Now, my son," said his mother to Robert, "lay your 



208 THE FARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

claim on the corn-field at Wolf Point. It is fine land, and 
will always be valuable for cultivation ; besides, as it faces 
down the main river, the situation will always be a con- 
venient one." 

The answer was a hearty laugh. " Hear mother I" said 
Robert. " We have just got a hundred and two acres — 
more than we shall ever want, or know what to do with, 
and now she would have me go and claim fifty-eight acres 
more !" 

'' Take my advice, my boy," repeated his mother, " or 
you may live one day to regret it." 

" Well, I cannot see how I can ever regret not getting 
more than we can possibly make use of." And so the 
matter ended. The fifty-eight acres were never claimed, 
and there was, I think, a very general impression that 
asking for our just rights in the case would have a very 
grasping, covetous look. How much wiser five-and- twenty 
years have made us ! 



During my sojourn of two months at Chicago, our 
mother often entertained me with stories of her early life 
and adventures. The following is her history of her cap- 
tivity among the Senecas, which I have put in the form 
of a tale, although without the slightest variation from 
the facts as I received them from her lips, and those of 
her sister, Mrs. William Forsyth, of Sandwich (C. W.), 
the little Maggie of the story. 



THhJ CAPTIVES. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



THE CAPTIVES. 



It is well known that previous to the war of the Revo- 
lution the whole of the western portion of Pennsylvania 
was inhabited by different Indian tribes. Of these, the 
Delawares were the friends of the whites, and, after the 
commencement of the great struggle, took part with the 
United States. The Iroquois, on the contrary, were the 
friends and allies of the mother-country. 

Very few white settlers had ventured beyond the Sus- 
quehanna. The numerous roving bands of Shawanoes, 
Nanticokes, etc., although at times professing friendship 
with the Americans and acting in concert with the Dela- 
wares or Lenape as allies, at others suffered themselves to 
be seduced by their neighbors, the Iroquois, to show a 
most sanguinary spirit of hostility. 

For this reason, the life of the inhabitants of the frontier 
was one of constant peril and alarm. Many a scene of 
dismal barbarity was enacted, as the history of the times 
testifies, and even those who felt themselves in some 
measure protected by their immediate neighbors, the 
Delawares, never lost sight of the caution required by 
their exposed situation. 

The vicinity of the military garrison at Pittsburg — or 
Fort Pitt, as it was then called — gave additional security 
to those who had pushed farther west, among the fertile 
valleys of the Alleghany and Monongahela. Among these 
were the family of Mr. Lytle, who, some years previous 
lo the opening of our story, had removed from Baltimore 

18* 



210 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

to Path Valley, near Carlisle, and subsequently settled 
himself on the banks of Plum River, a tributary of the 
Alleghany. Here, with his wife and five children, he had 
continued to live in comfort and security, undisturbed by 
any hostile visit, and only annoyed by occasional false 
alarms from his more timorous neighbors, who, having 
had more experience in frontier life, were prone to antici- 
pate evil, as well as to magnify every appearance of 
danger. 

On a bright afternoon in the autumn of lt79, two chil- 
dren of Mr. Lytle, a girl of nine, and her brother, two 
years younger, were playing in a little dingle or hollow in 
the rear of their father's house. Some large trees, which 
had been recently felled, were lying here and there, still 
untrimmed of their branches, and many logs, prepared for 
fuel, were scattered around. Upon one of these the chil- 
dren, wearied with their sports, seated themselves, and to 
beguile the time they fell into conversation upon a subject 
that greatly perplexed them. 

While playing in the same place a few hours previous, 
they had imagined they saw an Indian lurking behind 
one of the fallen trees. The Indians of the neighborhood 
were in the habit of making occasional visits to the family, 
and they had become familiar and even affectionate with 
many of them, but this seemed a stranger, and after the 
first hasty glance they fled in alarm to the house. 

Their mother chid them for the report they brought, 
which she endeavored to convince them was without 
foundation. "You know," said she, "you are always 
alarming us unnecessarily : the neighbors' children have 
frightened you to death. Go back to your play, and learn 
to be more courageous." 

So the children returned to their sports, hardly per- 



THE CAPTIVES. 211 

suaded by their mother's arguments. While they were 
thus seated upon the trunk of the tree, their discourse 
was interrupted by the note, apparently, of a quail not far 
off. 

" Listen," said the boy, as a second note answered the 
first ; " do you hear that V 

" Yes," was the reply, and, after a few moments' silence, 
" do you not hear a rustling among the branches of the 
tree yonder ?" 

" Perfeaps it is a squirrel — but look! what is that? 
Surely I saw something red among the branches. It 
looked like a fawn popping up its head." 

At this moment, the children, who had been gazing so 
intently in the direction of the fallen tree that all other 
objects were forgotten, felt themselves seized from behind 
and pinioned in an iron grasp. What were their horror 
and dismay to find themselves in the arms of savages, 
whose terrific countenances and gestures plainly showed 
them to be enemies ! 

They made signs to the children to be silent, on pain of 
death, and hurried them off, half dead with terror, in a 
direction leading from their father's habitation. After 
travelling some distance in profound silence, the severity 
of their captors somewhat relaxed, and as night approached 
the party halted, after adopting the usual precautions to 
secure themselves against a surprise. 

In an agony of uncertainty and terror, torn from their 
beloved home and parents, and anticipating all the horrors 
with which the rumors of the times had invested a cap- 
tivity among the Indians — perhaps even a torturing death 
— the poor children could no longer restrain their grief, 
but gave vent to sobs and lamentations. 

Their distress appeared to excite the compassion of one 
of the party, a man of mild aspect, who approached and 



212 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

endeavored to soothe them. He spread them a couch of 
the long grass which grew near the encamping-place, 
offered them a portion of his own stock of dried meat and 
parched corn, and gave them to understand by signs that 
no further evil was intended them. 

These kindly demonstrations were interrupted by the 
arrival of another party of the enemy, bringing with them 
the mother of the little prisoners, with her youngest child, 
an infant of three months old. 

It had so happened that the father of the fanfHy, with 
his serving-men, had gone early in the day to a raising at 
a few miles' distance, and the house had thus been left 
without a defender. The long period of tranquillity which 
they had enjoyed, free from all molestation or alarm from 
the savages, had thrown the settlers quite off their guard, 
and they had recently laid aside some of the caution they 
had formerly deemed necessary. 

These Indians, by lying in wait, had found the favorable 
moment for seizing the defenceless ftimily and making 
them prisoners. Judging from their paint, and other 
marks by which the early settlers learned to distinguish 
the various tribes, Mrs. Lytle conjectured that those into 
whose hands she and her children had fallen were Senecas. 
Nor was she mistaken. It was a party of that tribe who 
had descended from their village with the intention of fall- 
ing upon some isolated band of their enemies, the Dela- 
wares, but failing in this, had made themselves amends by 
capturing a few white settlers. 

It is to be attributed to the generally mild disposition of 
this tribe, together with the magnanimous character of the 
chief who accompanied the party, that their prisoners in 
the present instance escaped the fate of most of the Amer- 
icans who were so unhappy as to fall into the hands of the 
Iroquois. 



THE CAPTIVES. 213 

The children leurued from their mother that she was 
profoundly ignorant of the fate of their remaining brother 
and sister, a boy of six and a little girl of four years of 
age, but she was in hopes they had made good their es- 
cape with the servant-girl, who had likewise disappeared 
from the commencement. 

After remaining a few hours to recruit the exhausted 
frames of th€ prisoners, the savages again started on their 
march, one of the older Indians offering to relieve the 
mother from the burden of her infant, which she had hith- 
erto carried in her arms. Pleased with the unexpected 
kindness, she resigned to him her tender charge. 

Thus they pursued their way, the savage who carried 
the infant lingering somewhat behind the rest of the party, 
until, finding a spot convenient for his purpose, he grasped 
his innocent victim by the feet, and, with one whirl, to 
add strength to the blow, dashed out its brains against 
a tree. Leaving the body upon the spot, he rejoined the 
party. 

The mother, unsuspicious of what had passed, regarded 
him earnestly as he reappeared without the child — then 
gazed wildly around on the rest of the group. Her be- 
loved little one was not there. Its absence spoke its fate; 
but, suppressing the shriek of agony, for she knew that the 
lives of the remaining ones depended upon her firmness in 
that trying hour, she drew them yet closer to her and pur- 
sued her melancholy way without a word spoken or a 
question asked. 

From the depths of her heart she cried unto Him who 
is able to save, and He comforted her with hopes of deliv- 
erance for the surviving ones, for she saw that if blood 
had been their sole object the scalps of herself and her 
children would have been taken upon the spot where they 
were made prisoners. 



214 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

She read too in the eyes of one who was evidently the 
commander of the party an expression more merciful than 
she had even dared to hope. Particularly had she ob- 
served his soothing manner and manifest partiality to- 
wards her eldest child, the little girl of whom we have 
spoken, and she built many a bright hope of escape or 
ransom upon these slender foundations. 

After a toilsome and painful march of many days, the 
party reached the Seneca village, upon the head-waters of 
the Alleghany, near what is now called Olean Point. On 
their arrival the chief, their conductor, who was distin- 
guished by the name of the Big White Man,*^ led his pris- 
oners to the principal lodge. This was occupied by his 
mother, the widow of the head-chief of that band, and 
who was called by them the Old Queen. 

On entering her presence, her sou presented her the 
little girl, saying, — 

" My mother, I bring you a child to supply the place 
of my brother, who was killed by the Lenape six moons 
ago. She shall dwell in my lodge, and be to me a sister. 
Take the white woman and her children and treat them 
kindly — our father will give us many horses and guns to 
buy them back again." 

He referred to the British Indian Agent of his tribe. 
Colonel Johnson, an excellent and benevolent gentleman, 
who resided at Fort Niagara, on the British side of the 
river of that name. 

The old queen fulfilled the injunctions of her son. She 
received the prisoners, and every comfort was provided 

* Although this is the name our mother preserved of her benefactor, it 
seems evident that this chief was in fact Corn-Planter, a personage well 
known in the history of the times. There could hardly have been two 
euoh prominent chiefs in the same village. 



THE CAPTIVES. 215 

them that her simple and primitive mode of life rendered 
possible. 

We must now return to the place and period at which 
our story commences. 

Late in the evening of that day the father returned to 
his dwelling. All within and around was silent and deso- 
late. No trace of a living creature was to be found 
throughout the house or grounds. His nearest neighbors 
lived at a considerable distance, but to them he hastened, 
frantically demanding tidings of his family. 

As he aroused them from their slumbers, one and an- 
other joined him in the search, and at length, at the house of 
one of them, was found the servant-maid who had effected 
her escape. Her first place of refuge, she said, had been 
a large brewing-tub in an outer kitchen, under which 
she had, at the first alarm, secreted herself until the de- 
parture of the Indians, who were evidently in haste, gave 
her an opportunity of fleeing to a place of safety. She 
could give no tidings of her mistress and the children, 
except that they had not been murdered in her sight or 
hearing. 

At length, having scoured the neighborhood without 
success, Mr. Lytle remembered an old settler who lived 
alone, far up the valley. Thither he and his friends im- 
mediately repaired, and from him they learned that, being 
at work in his field just before sunset, he had seen a party 
of strange Indians passing at a short distance from his 
cabin. As they wound along the brow of the hill, he 
could perceive that they had prisoners with them — a 
woman and a child. The woman he knew to be a white, 
as she carried her infant in her arms, instead of upon her 
back, after the manner of the savages. 

Hay had now begun to break, for the night had been 



216 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

passed in fruitless searches, and the agonized father, after 
a consultation with his kind friends and neighbors, accepted 
their offer to accompany him to Fort Pitt to ask advice 
and assistance of the commandant and Indian Agent at 
that place. 

Proceeding down the valley, as they approached a hut 
which the night before they had found apparently deserted, 
they were startled by observing two children standing 
upon the high bank in front of it. The delighted father 
recognized two of his missing flock, but no tidings could 
they give him of their mother and the other lost ones. 
Their story was simple and touching. 

They were playing in the garden, when they were 
alarmed by seeing the Indians enter the yard near the 
house. Unperceived by them, the brother, who was but 
six years of age, helped his little sister over the fence 
into a field overrun with bushes of the blackberry and wild 
raspberry. They concealed themselves among these for 
awhile, and then, finding all quiet, they attempted to force 
their way to the side of the field farthest from the house. 
Unfortunately, the little girl in her play in the garden had 
pulled off her shoes and stockings, and the briers tearing 
and wounding her tender feet, she with difficulty could re- 
frain from crying out. Her brother took off his stockings 
and put them on her feet. He attempted, too, to protect 
them with his shoes, but they were too large, and kept 
slipping off, so that she could not wear them. For a time, 
they persevered in making what they considered their 
escape from certain death, for, as I have said, the children 
had been taught, by the tales they had heard, to regard all 
strange Indians as ministers of torture, and of horrors 
worse than death. Exhausted with pain and fatigue, 
the poor little girl at length declared she could go no 
farther. 



THE CAPTIVES. 2 It 

" Then, Maggie," said her brother, " I must kill you, 
for I cannot let you be killed by the Indians." 

"Oh, no, Thomas!" pleaded she, "do not, pray do not 
kill me I I do not think the Indians will find us." 

" Oh, yes, they will, Maggie, and I could kill you so 
much easier than they would I" 

For a long time he endeavored to persuade her, and 
even looked about for a stick sufficiently large for his pur- 
pose ; but despair gave the little creature strength, and she 
promised her brother that she would neither complain nor 
falter, if he would assist her in making her way out of the 
field. 

The idea of the little boy that he could save his sister 
from savage barbarity by taking her life himself, shows 
what tales of horror the children of the early settlers were 
familiar with. 

After a few more efforts, they made their way out of the 
field, into an uninclosed pasture-ground, where, to their 
great delight, they saw some cows feeding. They recog- 
nized them as belonging to Granny Myers, an old woman 
who lived at some little distance, but in what direction 
from the place they then were, they were utterly ignorant. 

With a sagacity beyond his years, the boy said, — 

" Let us hide ourselves till sunset, when the cows will 
go home, and we will follow them." 

They did so, but, to their dismay, when they reached 
Granny Myers's they found the house deserted. The old 
woman had been called by some business down the valley, 
and did not return that night. 

Tired and hungry, they could go no farther, but, after an 
almost fruitless endeavor to get some milk from the cows, 
they laid themselves down to sleep under an old bedstead 
that stood behind the house. Their father and his party 
had caused them additional terror in the night. The 

19 



218 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

shouts and calls which had been designed to arouse the 
inmates of the house, they had mistaken for the whoop of 
the Indians, and, not being able to distinguish friends 
from foes, they had crept close to one another, as far out 
of sight as possible. When found the following morning, 
they were debating what course to take next, for safety. 

The commandant at Fort Pitt entered warmly into the 
affairs of Mr. Lytle, and readily furnished him with a de- 
tachment of soldiers, to aid him and his friends in the 
pursuit of the marauders. Some circumstances having 
occurred to throw suspicion upon the Senecas, the party 
soon directed their search among the villages of that 
tribe. 

Their inquiries were prosecuted in various directions, 
and always with great caution, for all the tribes of the 
Iroquois, or, as they pompously called themselves, the 
Five Nations, being allies of Great Britain, were inveterate 
in their hostility to the Americans. Thus, some time 
elapsed before the father with his attendants reached the 
village of the Big White Man. 

A treaty was immediately entered into for the ransom 
of the captives, which was easily accomplished in regard 
to Mrs. Lytle and the younger child. But no offers, no 
entreaties, no promises, could procure the release of the 
little Eleanor, the adopted child of the tribe. " No," the 
chief said, " she was his sister ; he had taken her to supply 
the place of his brother who was killed by the enemy — 
she was dear to him, and he would not part with her." 

Finding every effort unavailing to shake this resolution, 
the father was compelled to take his sorrowful departure 
with such of his beloved ones as he had had the good for- 
tune to recover. 

We will not attempt to depict the grief of parents com- 
pelled thus to give up a darling child, and to leave her in 



THE CAPTIVES. 219 

the hands of savages, whom until now they had too much 
reason to reirard as merciless. But there was no alter- 
native. Commending her to the care of their heavenly 
Father, and cheered by the manifest tenderness with 
which she had thus far been treated, they set out on their 
melancholy journey homeward, trusting that some future 
effort would be more effectual for the recovery of their 

little girl. 

Having placed his family in safety at Pittsburg, Mr. 
Lytle, still assisted by the commandant and the Indian 
Agent, undertook an expedition to the frontier to the resi- 
de^'nce 'of the British Agent, Colonel Johnson. His repre- 
sentation of the case warmly interested the feelings of 
that benevolent officer, who promised him to spare no ex- 
ertions in his behalf. This promise he religiously per- 
formed. He went in person to the village of the Big 
White Man, as soon as the opening of the spring permitted, 
and offered him many splendid presents of guns and horses, 
but the chief was inexorable. 

Time rolled on, and every year the hope of recovering 
the little captive became more faint. She, in the mean 
time, continued to wind herself more and more closely 
around the heart of her Indian brother. Nothing could 
exceed the consideration and affection with which she was 
treated, not only by himself, but by his mother, the Old 
Queen. All their stock of brooches and wampum was 
employed in the decoration of her person. The principal 
seat and the most delicate viands were invariably re- 
served for her, and no efforts were spared to promote her 
happiness, and to render her forgetful of her former home 

and kindred. 

Thus though she had beheld, with a feeling almost 
amounting to despair, the departure of her parents and 
dear little brother, and had for a long time resisted every 



220 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

attempt at cousolation, preferring even death to a life of 
separation from all she loved, yet time, as it ever does, 
brought its soothing balm, and she at length grew contented 
and happy. 

From her activity and the energy of her character, 
qualities for which she was remarkable to the latest period 
of her life, the name was given her of The Ship under 
full sail. 



The only drawback to the happiness of the little pris- 
oner, aside from her longings after her own dear home, 
was the enmity she encountered from the wife of the Big 
White Man. This woman, from the day of her arrival at 
the village, and adoption into the family as a sister, had 
conceived for her the greatest animosity, which, at first, 
she had the prudence to conceal from the observation of 
her husband. 

It was perhaps natural that a wife should give way to 
some feelings of jealousy at seeing her own place in the 
heart of her husband usurped by the child of their enemy, 
the American. But these feelings were aggravated by a 
bad and vindictive temper, and by the indifference with 
which her husband listened to her complaints and mur- 
murings. 

As she had no children of her own to engage her atten- 
tion, her mind was the more engrossed and inflamed with 
her fancied wrongs, and with devising means for their 
redress. An opportunity of attempting the latter was 
not long wanting. 

During the absence of the Big White Man upon some 
war-party or hunting-excursion, his little sister was taken 
ill with fever and ague. She was nursed with the utmost 
tenderness by the Old Queen; and the wife of the chief, to 



THE CAPTIVES. 221 

lull suspicion, and thereby accomplish her purpose, was 
likewise unwearied in her assiduities to the little favorite. 
One afternoon, during the temporary absence of the Old 
Queen, her daughter-in-law entered the lodge with a bowl 
of something she had prepared, and, stooping down to the 
mat on which the child lay, said, in an affectionate accent,— 
" Drink, my sister, I have brought you that which will 
drive this fever far from you." 

On raising her head to reply, the little girl perceived a 
pair of eyes peeping through a crevice in the lodge, and 
fixed upon her with a very peculiar and significant expres- 
sion. With the quick perception acquired partly from na- 
ture and partly from her intercourse with this people, she 
replied, faintly,— 

- Set it down, my sister. When this fit of the fever has 
passed, I will drink your medicine." 

The squaw, too cautious to use importunity, busied her- 
self about in the lodge for a short time, then withdrew to 
another, near at hand. Meantime, the bright eyes con- 
tinued peering through the opening, until they had watched 
their object fairly out of sight; then a low voice, the voice 
of a young friend and playfellow, spoke : 

'« Do not drink that which your brother's wife has 
brought you. She hates you, and is only waiting an op- 
portunity to rid herself of you. I have watched her all 
. the morning, and have seen her gathering the most deadly 
roots and herbs. I knew for whom they were intended, 
and came hither to warn you." 

"Take the bowl," said the little invalid, "and carry it 
to my mother's lodge." 

This was accordingly done. The contents of the bowl 
were found to consist principally of a decoction of the root 
of the May-apple, the most deadly poison known among 
the Indians. 

19* 



222 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

It is not in the power of language to describe the indig- 
nation that pervaded the little community when this dis- 
covery was made known. The squaws ran to and fro, as 
is their custom when excited, each vying with the other 
in heaping invectives upon the culprit. No further punish- 
ment was, however, for the present inflicted upon her, but, 
the first burst of rage over, she was treated with silent 
abhorrence. 

The little patient was removed to the lodge of the Old 
Queen, and strictly guarded, while her enemy was left to 
wander in silence and solitude about the fields and woods, 
until the return of her husband should determine her pun- 
ishment. 

In a few days, the excursion being over, the Big White 
Man and his party returned to the village. Contrary to 
the usual custom of savages, he did not, in his first trans- 
port at learning the attempt on the life of his little sister, 
take summary vengeance on the offender. He contented 
himself with banishing her from his lodge, never to re- 
turn, and condemning her to hoe corn in a distant part of 
the large field or inclosure which served the whole com- 
munity for a garden. 

Although she would still show her vindictive disposi- 
tion whenever, by chance, the little girl with her compan- 
ions wandered into that vicinity, by striking at her with 
her hoe, or by some other spiteful manifestation, yet she 
was either too well watched, or stood too much in awe of 
her former husband, to repeat the attempt upon his sister's 
life. 

Four years had now elapsed since the capture of little 
Nelly. Her heart was by nature warm and affectionate, 
so that the uabounded tenderness of those she dwelt among 
had called forth a corresponding feeling in her heart. She 



THE CAPTIVES. 223 

regarded the chief and his mother with love and reverence, 
and had so completely learned their language and customs 
as almost to have forgotten her own. 

So identified had she become with the tribe, that the re- 
membrance of her home and family had nearly faded from 
her memory ; all but her mother — her mother, whom she 
had loved with a strength of affection natural to her warm 
and ardent character, and to whom her heart still clung 
with a fondness that no time or change could destroy. 

The peace of 1783 between Great Britain and the United 
States now took place. A general pacification of the In- 
dian tribes was the consequence, and fresh hopes were re- 
newed in the bosoms of Mr. and Mrs. Lytle. 

They removed with their family to Fort Niagara, near 
which, on the American side, was the Great Council-Fire 
of the Senecas. Colonel Johnson readily undertook a 
fresh negotiation with the chief, but, in order to make sure 
every chance of success, he again proceeded in person to 
the village of the Big White Man. 

His visit was most opportune. It was the " Feast of 
the Green Corn," when he arrived among them. This ob- 
servance, which corresponds so strikingly with the Jewish 
Feast of Tabernacles that, together with other customs, it 
has led many to believe the Indian nations the descendants 
of the lost ten tribes of Israel, made it a season of gen- 
eral joy and festivity. All other occupations were sus- 
pended to give place to social enjoyment in the open air 
or in arbors formed of the green branches of the trees. 
Every one appeared in his gala-dress. That of the little 
adopted child consisted of a petticoat of blue broadcloth, 
bordered with gay-colored ribbons ; a sack or upper gar- 
ment of black silk, ornamented with three rows of silver 
brooches, the centre ones from the throat to the hem being 
of large size, and those from the shoulders down being no 



224 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

larger than a shilling-piece, and set as closely as possible. 
Around her neck were innumerable strings of white and 
purple wampum — an Indian ornament manufactured from 
the inner surface of the muscle-shell. Her hair was clubbed 
behind and loaded with beads of various colors. Leg- 
gings of scarlet cloth, and moccasins of deer-skin embroid- 
ered with porcupine-quills, completed her costume. 

Colonel Johnson was received with all the consideration 
due to his position, and to the long friendship that had 
subsisted between him and the tribe. 

Observing that the hilarity of the festival had warmed 
and opened all hearts, he took occasion in an interview 
with the chief to expatiate upon the parental affection 
which had led the father and mother of his little sister to 
give up their friends and home, and come hundreds of 
miles away, in the single hope of sometimes looking upon 
and embracing her. The heart of the chief softened as he 
listened to this representation, and he was induced to 
promise that at the Grand Council soon to be held at Fort 
Niagara, on the British side of the river, he would attend, 
bringing his little sister with him. 

He exacted a promise, however, from Colonel Johnson, 
that not only no effort should be made to reclaim the child, 
but that even no proposition to part with her should be 
offered him. 

The time at length arrived when, her heart bounding 
with joy, little Nelly was placed on horseback to accom- 
pany her Indian brother to the Great Council of the 
Senecas. She had promised him that she would never 
leave him without his permission, and he relied confidently 
on her word thus given. 

As the chiefs and warriors arrived in successive bands 
to meet their Father, the agent, at the council-fire, how did 
the anxious hearts of the parents beat with alternate hope 



I 



THE CAPTIVES. 225 

and fear ! The officers of the fort had kindly given them 
quarters for the time being, and the ladies, whose sym- 
pathies were strongly excited, had accompanied the mother 
to the place of council, and joined in her longing watch 
for the arst appearance of the band from the Alleghany 

River. 

At length thev were discerned, emerging from the forest 
on the opposite or American side. Boats were sent across 
by the commanding officer, to bring the chief and his party. 
The father and mother, attended by all the officers and 
ladies stood upon the grassy bank awaiting their approach. 
They had seen at a glance that the liitle captive was with 

them. . 

When about to enter the boat, the chief said to some ot 
his young men, " Stand here with the horses, and wait 

until I return." 

He was told that the horses should be ferried across 

and taken care of. 

"No," said he ; " let them wait." 

He held his darling by the hand until the river was 
passed— until the boat touched the bank— until the child 
sprang forward into the arms of the mother from whom 
she had been so long separated. 

When the chief witnessed that outburst of affection, he 
could withstand no longer. 

• " She shall go," said he. " The mother must have her 
' child again. I will go back alone." 

With one silent gesture of farewell he turned and stepped 
on board the boat. No arguments or entreaties could in- 
duce him to remain at the council, but, having gained the 
other side of the Niagara, he mounted his horse, and with 
his young men was soon lost in the depths of the forest. 

After a sojourn of a few weeks at Niagara, Mr. Lytle, 
dreading lest the resolution of the Big White Man should 



226 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

give way, and measures be taken to deprive him once 
more of his child, came to the determination of again 
changing his place of abode. He therefore took the first 
opportunity of crossing Lake Erie with his family, and 
settled himself in the 'Saeighborhood of Detroit, where he 
continued afterwards to reside. 

Little Nelly saw her friend the chief no more, but she 
never forgot him. To the day of her death she remem- 
bered with tenderness and gratitude her brother the Big 
White Man, and her friends and playfellows among the 
Senecas. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

SECOND-SIGHT — HICKORY CREEK. 

At the age of fourteen the heroine of the foregoing- 
story married Colonel McKillip, a British officer. This 
gentleman was killed near Fort Defiance, as it was after- 
wards called, at the Miami Rapids, in 1794. A detachment 
of British troops had been sent down from Detroit, to take 
possession of this post. General Wayne was then on a 
campaign against the Indians, and the British Government 
thought proper to make a few demonstrations in behalf of 
their allies. Having gone out with a party to reconnoitre, 
Colonel McKillip was returning to his post after dark, 
when he was fired upon and killed by one of his own senti- 
nels. Mrs. Helm was the daughter of this marriage. 

During the widowhood of Mrs. McKillip, she resided 
with her parents, at Grosse Pointe, eight miles above 
Detroit, and it was during this period that an event oc- 
curred which, from the melancholy and mysterious circum- 



SECOND-SIGHT— HICKORY CREEK. 221 

Stances attending it, was always dwelt upon by her with 
peculiar interest. 

Her second brother, Thomas Lytic, was, from his amiable 
and afifectionate character, the most dearly beloved by her 
of all the numerous family circle. He was paying his ad- 
dresses to a young lady who resided at the river Trench,* 
as it was then called, now the river Thames, a stream 
emptying into Lake St. Clair about twenty miles above 
Detroit. In visiting this young lady, it was his custom to 
cross the Detroit River by the ferry with his horse, and 
then proceed by land to the river Trench, which was, at 
some seasons of the year, a fordable stream. 

On a fine forenoon, late in the spring, he had taken 
leave of his mother and sister for one of these periodical 
visits, which were usually of two or three days' duration. 

After dinner, as his sister was sitting at work by an 
open window which looked upon a little side inclosure 
filled with fruit-trees, she was startled by observing some 
object opposite the window, between her and the light. 
She raised her eyes and saw her brother Thomas. He 
was without his horse, and carried his saddle upon his 
shoulders. 

Surprised that she had not heard the gate opening for 
his entrance, and also at his singular appearance, laden in 
that manner, she addressed him, and inquired what had 
happened, and why he had returned so soon. He made 
her no reply, but looked earnestly in her face, as he 
moved slowly along the paved walk that led to the stables. 

She waited a few moments, expecting he would reappear 
to give an account of himself and his adventures, but at 
length, growing impatient at his delay, she put down her 
work and went towards the rear of the house to find him. 



» From the French — Tranche, a deep cut. 



228 ^'HE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

The first person she met was her mother. " Have you 
seen Thomas ?" she inquired. 

"Thomas! He has gone to the river Trench." 

" No, he has returned — I saw him pass the window not 
fifteen minutes since." 

" Then he will be in presently." 

His sister, however, could not wait. She proceeded to 
the stables, she searched in all directions. No Thomas — 
no horse — no saddle. She made inquiry of the domestics. 
No one had seen him. She then returned and told her 
mother what had happened. 

"You must have fallen asleep and dreamed it," said her 
mother. 

" No, indeed ! I was wide awake— I spoke to him, and 
he gave me no answer, but such a look!" 

All the afternoon she felt an uneasiness she could not 
reason herself out of. 

The next morning came a messenger from the river 
Trench with dismal tidings. 

The bodies of the young man and his horse had been 
found drowned a short distance below the ford of the 
river. 

It appeared that, on arriving at the bank of the river, 
he found it swollen beyond its usual depth by the recent 
rains. It being necessary to swim the stream with his 
horse, he had taken off his clothes and made them into a 
packet which he fastened upon his shoulders. It was sup- 
posed that the strength of the rapid torrent displaced the 
bundle, which thus served to draw his head under water 
and keep it there, without the power of raising it. All 
this was gathered from the position and appearance of the 
bodies when found. 

From the time at which he had been seen passing a 
house which stood near the stream, on his way to the 



SBCONto-StOHT—HTCKORY CREEK. ^29 

ford, it was evident that he must have met his fate at the 
very moment his sister saw, or thought she saw him, 
passing before her. 

I could not but suggest the inquiry, when these sad 
particulars were narrated to me, — 

" Mother, is it not possible this might have been a 
dream ?" 

"A dream? No, indeed, my child. I was perfectly 
wide awake — as much so as I am at this moment. I am 
not superstitious. I have never believed in ghosts or 
witches, but nothing can ever persuade me that this was 
not a warning sent from God, to prepare me for my 
brother's death." 

And those who knew her rational good sense — her 
freedom from fancies or fears, and the calm self-possession 
that never deserted her under the most trying circum- 
stances — would almost be won to view the matter in the 
light she did. 



The order for the evacuation of Fort Dearborn, and the 
removal of the troops to Fort Howard (Green Bay), had 
now been received. The family circle was to be broken 
up. Our mother, our sister Mrs. Helm, and her little son, 
were to return with us to Fort Winnebago; the other 
members of the family, except Robert, were to move with 
the command to Green Bay. 

The schooner Napoleon was to be sent from Detroit to 
convey the troops with their goods and chattels to their 
destined post. Our immediate party was to make the 
journey by land — we were to choose, however, a shorter 
and pleasanter route than the one we had taken in coming 
hither. My husband, with his Frenchmen, Petaille Grignon 
and Simon Lecuyer, had arrived, and all hands were now 

20 



230 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

busily occupied with the necessary preparations for break- 
ing up and removal. 

I should be doing injustice to the hospitable settlers of 
Hickory Creek were I to pass by without notice an enter- 
tainment with which they honored our Chicago beaux 
about this time. The merry-making was to be a ball, and 
the five single gentlemen of Chicago were invited. Mr. 
Dole, who was a new-comer, declined; Lieutenant Foster 
was on duty, but he did what was still better than accepting 
the invitation, he loaned his beautiful horse to Medard 
Beaubien, who with Robert Kinzie and Gholson Ker- 
cheval promised himself much fun in eclipsing the beaux 
and creating a sensation among the belles of Hickory 
Creek. 

Chicago was then, as now, looked upon as the City par 
excellence. Its few inhabitants were supposed to have 
seen something of the world, and it is to be inferred that 
the arrival of the smart and dashing young men was an 
event looked forward to with more satisfaction by the fair 
of the little settlement than by the swains whose rivals 
they might become. 

The day arrived, and the gentlemen set off in high 
spirits. They took care to be in good season, for the 
dancing was to commence at two o'clock in the afternoon. 
They were well mounted, each priding himself upon the 
animal he rode, and they wore their best suits, as became 
city gallants who were bent on cutting out their less 
fashionable neighbors and breaking the hearts of the 
admiring country damsels. 

When they arrived at the place appointed, they were 
received with great politeness — their steeds were taken 
care of, and a dinner was provided them, after which 
they were ushered into the dancing-hall. 

All the beauty of the neighboring precincts was assem- 



SECOND-SIGHT— HICKORY CREEK. 231 

bled. The ladies were for the most part white, or what 
passed for such, with an occasional dash of copper color. 
There was no lack of bombazet gowns and large white 
pocket-handkerchiefs, perfumed with oil of cinnamon ; and 
as they took their places in long rows on the puncheon 
floor, they were a merry and a happy company. 

But the city gentlemen grew more and more gallant — 
the girls more and more delighted with their attentions — 
the country swains, alas ! more and more scowling and 
jealous. In vain they pigeon-winged and double-shuf- 
fled — in vain they nearly dislocated hips and shoulders at 
" hoe corn and dig potatoes" — they had the mortification 
to perceive that the smart young sprigs from Chicago had 
their " pick and choose" among their very sweethearts, and 
that they themselves were fairly danced off the ground. 

The revelry lasted until daylight, and it was now time to 
think of returning. There was no one ready with obliging 
politeness to bring them their horses from the stable. 

"Poor fellows!" said one of the party, with a compas- 
sionate sort of laugh, "they could not stand it. They 
have gone home to bed !" 

"Serves them right," said another; "they'd better not 
ask us down among their girls again I" 

They groped their way to the stable and went in. 
There were some animals standing at the manger, but 
evidently not their horses. What could they be ? Had 
the rogues been trying to cheat them, by putting these 
strange nondescripts into their place ? 

They led them forth into the gray of the morning, and 
then — such a trio as met their gaze ! 

There were the original bodies, it is true, but where 
were their manes and tails ? A scrubby, pickety ridge 
along the neck, and a bare stump projecting behind, were 
all that remained of the flowing honors with which they 



232 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

had come gallivanting down to " bear away the bell" at 
Hickory Creek, or, in the emphatic language of the coun- 
try, " to take the rag off the bush." 

Gholson sat down on a log and cried outright. Medard 
took the matter more philosophically — the horse was none 
of his — it was Lieutenant Foster's. 

Robert characteristically looked around to see whom he 
could knock down on the occasion ; but there was no one 
visible on whom to wreak their vengeance. 

The bumpkins had stolen away, and, in some safe, quiet 
nook, were snugly enjoying their triumph, and doubtless 
the deceitful fair ones were by this time at their sides, 
sharing their mirth and exultation. 

The unlucky gallants mounted their steeds, and set their 
faces homeward. Never was there a more crestfallen 
and sorry-looking cavalcade. The poor horses seemed to 
realize that they had met the same treatment as the mes- 
sengers of King David at the hands of the evil-disposed 
Hanun. They hung their heads, and evidently wished 
that they could have " tarried at Jericho" for a season. 
Unfortunately, there was in those days no back way 
by which they could steal in, unobserved. Across the 
prairie, in view of the whole community, must their ap- 
proach be made; and to add to their confusion, in the 
rarity of stirring events, it was the custom of the whole 
settlement to turn out and welcome the arrival of any 
new-comer. 

As hasty a retreat as possible was beaten, amid the 
shouts, the jeers, and the condolences of their acquaint- 
ances; and it is on record that these three young gentle- 
men were in no hurry to accept, at any future time, an 
invitation to partake of the festivities of Hickory Creek. 



SECOND-SIGHT— HICKORY CREEK. 233 

In due time the Napoleon made her appearance. (Alas 
that this great name should be used in the feminine 
gender!) As there was at this period no harbor, vessels 
anchored outside the bar, or tongue of land which formed 
the left bank of the river, and the lading and unlading 
were carried on by boats, pulling in and out, through the 
mouth of the river, some distance below. 

Of course it always was a matter of great importance 
to get a vessel loaded as quickly as possible, that she might 
be ready to take advantage of the first fair wind, and be 
off from such an exposed and hazardous anchoring-ground. 

For this reason we had lived packed up for many days, 
intending only to see our friends safe on board, and then 
commence our own journey back to Port Winnebago. 

Our heavy articles of furniture, trunks, etc. had been 
sent on board the Napoleon, to be brought round to us 
by way of Fox River. We had retained only such few 
necessaries as could be conveniently carried on a pack- 
horse, and in a light dearborn wagon lately brought by 
Mr. Kercheval from Detroit (the first luxury of the kind 
ever seen on the prairies), and which my husband had 
purchased as an agreeable mode of conveyance for his 
mother and little nephew. 

It was a matter requiring no small amount of time and 
labor to transport, in the slow method described, the effects 
of so many families of officers and soldiers, with the various 
etceteras incident to a total change and removal. It was 
all, however, happily accomplished — everything, even to 
the last article, sent on board — nothing remaining on shore 
but the passengers, whose turn it would be next. 

It was a moment of great relief; for Captain Hinckley 
had been in a fever and a fuss many hours, predicting a 
change of weather, and murmuring at what he thought the 
unnecessary amount of boat-loads to be taken on board. 

20* 



234 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Those who had leisure to be looking out towards the 
schooner, which had continued anchored about half a mile 
out in the lake, had, at this crisis, the satisfaction to see 
her hoist sail and leave her station for the open lake ; 
those who were a little later could just discern her bear- 
ing away to a distance, as if she had got all on board that 
she had any idea of taking. Here we were, and here we 
might remain a week or more, if it so pleased Captain 
Hinckley and the schooner Napoleon, and the good east 
wind which was blowing with all its might. 

There was plenty of provisions to be obtained, so the 
fear of starvation was not the trouble ; but how were the 
cooking and the table to be provided for ? Various ex- 
pedients were resorted to. Mrs. Eugle, in her quarters 
above-stairs, ate her breakfast off a shingle with her hus- 
band's jack-knife, and when she had finished, sent them 
down to Lieutenant Foster for his accommodation. 

We were at the old mansion on the north side, and the 
news soon flew up the river that the Napoleon had gone 
off with "the plunder" and left the people behind. It 
was not long before we were supplied by Mrs. Portier 
(our kind Yictoire) with dishes, knives, forks, and all 
the other conveniences which our mess-basket failed to 
supply. 

This state of things lasted a couple of days, and then, 
early one fine morning, the gratifying intelligence spread 
like wild-fire that the Napoleon was at anchor out beyond 
the bar. 

There was no unnecessary delay this time, and at an 
early hour in the afternoon we had taken leave of our 
dear friends, and they were sailing away from Chicago.* 

* It is a singular fact that all the martins, of which there were great 
numbers occupying the little houses constructed for them by the soldiers, 



RETURN TO FORT WINNEBAGO. 235 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

RETURN TO FORT WINNEBAGO. 

A GREAT part of the command, with the cattle belong- 
ing to the officers and soldiers, had, a day or two previous 
to the time of our departure, set out on their march by 
land to Green Bay, via Fort Winnebago. Lieutenant 
Foster, under whose charge they were, had lingered be- 
hind that he might have the pleasure of joining our party, 
and we, in turn, had delayed in order to see the other 
members of our family safely on board the Napoleon. 
But now, all things being ready, we set our faces once 
more homeward. 

We took with us a little hound-girl, Josette, a bright, 
pretty child of ten years of age, a daughter of Ouilmette, 
a Frenchman who had lived here at the time of the Mas- 
sacre, and of a Pottowattamie mother. She had been at 
the St. Joseph's mission-school, under Mr. McCoy, and 
she was now full of delight at the prospect of a journey 
all the way to the Portage with Monsieur and Madame 

John. 

We had also a negro boy, Harry, brought a year before 
from Kentucky, by Mr. Kercheval. In the transfer at 
that time from a slave State to a free one, Harry's posi- 
tion became somewhat changed— he could b e no more than 

were observed to have disappeared from their homes on the morning fol- 
lowing the embarkation of the troops. After an absence of five days 
they returned. They had perhaps taken a fancy to accompany their old 
friends, but, finding they were not Mother Carey's chickens, deemed .t 
most prudent to return and reoccupy their old dwellings. 



236 THE EARLY PAT IN THE NORTHWEST. 

an indentured servant. He was about to become a mem- 
ber of Dr. Wolcott's household, and it was necessary for 
him to choose a guardian. All this was explained to him 
on his being brought into the parlor, where the family 
were assembled. My husband was then a young man, on 
a visit to his home. "Now, Harry," it was said to him, 
" you must choose your guardian ;" and the natural ex- 
pectation w^as that Harry would select the person of his 
acquaintance of the greatest age and dignity. But, roll- 
ing round his great eyes, and hanging his head on one side, 
he said, — 

"I'll have Master John for my guardian." 

From that day forward Harry felt as if he belonged, in 
a measure, to Master John, and at the breaking-up of the 
family in Chicago he was, naturally, transferred to our 
establishment. 

There were three ladies of our travelling party — our 
mother, our sister Mrs. Helm, and myself. To guard 
against the burning effect of the sun and the prairie winds 
upon our faces, I had, during some of the last days of 
my visit, prepared for each of us a mask of brow^n linen, 
with the eyes, nose, and mouth fitted to our features ; 
and, to enhance their hideousness, I had worked eye- 
brows, eyelashes, and a circle around the opening for the 
mouth, in black silk. Gathered in plaits under the chin, 
and with strings to confine them above and below, they 
furnished a complete protection against the sun and wind, 
though nothing can be imagined more frightful than the 
appearance we presented when fully equipped. It was 
who should be called the ugliest. 

We left amid the good wishes and laughter of our few 
remaining acquaintances. Our wagon had been provided 
with a pair of excellent travelling horses, and, sister Mar- 
garet and myself being accommodated with the best pacers 



RETURN TO FORT WINNEBAGO. 23t 

the country could afford, we set oflf in high spirits towards 
the Aux Plaines — our old friend, Billy Caldwell (the Sau- 
ga-nash), with our brother Robert, and Gholson Kercheval, 
accompanying us to that point of our journey. 

There was no one at Barney Lawton's when we reached 
there, save a Frenchman and a small number of Indians. 
My sister and I dismounted, and entered the dwelling, the 
door of which stood open. Two Indians were seated on 
the floor, smoking. They raised their eyes as we appeared, 
and never shall I forget the expression of wonder and 
horror depicted on the countenances of both. Their lips 
relaxed until the pipe of one fell upon the floor. Their 
eyes seemed starting from their heads, and raising their 
outspread hands, as if to wave us from them, they slowly 
ejaculated, "Manitou/^^ (a spirit.) 

As we raised our masks, and, smiling, came forward 
to shake bands with them, they sprang to their feet and 
fairly uttered a cry of delight at the sight of our familiar 
faces. 

"Bon-jour, bon-jour, Maman!" was their salutation, and 
they instantly plunged out of doors to relate to their com- 
panions what had happened. 

Our afternoon's ride was over a prairie stretching away 
to the northeast No living creature was to be seen upon 
its broad expanse, but flying and circling over our heads 
were innumerable flocks of curlews, 

" Screaming their wild notes to the listening waste." 

Their peculiar, shrill cry of "crack, crack, crack — rackety, 
rackety, rackety," repeated from the throats of dozens, as 
they sometimes stooped quite close to our ears, became at 
length almost unbearable. It seemed as if they had lost 
their senses in the excitement of so unusual and splendid 
a cortege in their hitherto desolate domain. 



238 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

The accelerated pace of our horses, as we approached a 
beautiful, wooded knoll, warned us that this was to be our 
place of repose for the night. These animals seem to know 
by instinct a favorable encamping^ground, and this was 
one of the most lovely imaginable. 

The trees, which near the lake had, owing to the cold- 
ness and tardiness of the season, presented the pale-yellow 
appearance of unfledged goslings, were here bursting into 
full leaf. The ground around was carpeted with flowers 
— we could not bear to have them crushed by the felling 
of a tree and the pitching of our tent among them. The 
birds sent forth their sweetest notes in the warm, lingering 
sunlight, and the opening buds of the young hickory and 
sassafras filled the air with perfume. 

Nothing could be more perfect than our enjoyment of 
this sylvan and beautiful retreat* after our ride in the 
glowing sun. The children were in ecstasies. They de- 
lighted to find ways of making themselves useful — to pile 
up the saddles — to break boughs for the fire — to fill the 
little kettles with water for Petaille and Lecuyer, the 
Frenchmen, who were preparing our supper. 

Their amusement at the awkward movements of the 
horses after they were spancelled knew no bounds. To 
our little nephew Edwin everything was new, and Josette, 
who had already made more than one horseback journey 
to St. Joseph, manifested all the pride of an old traveller 
in explaining to him whatever was novel or unaccountable. 

They were not the last to spring up at the call "howl 
how 1" on the following morning. 

The fire was replenished, the preparations for breakfast 
commenced, and the Frenchmen dispatched to bring up the 
horses in readiness for an early start. 

♦ It is now known as Dunkley's Grove, 



RETURN TO FORT WINNEBAGO. 239 

Harry and Josette played their parts, under our direc- 
tion, in preparing the simple meal, and we soon seated 
ourselves, each with cup and knife, around the table-mat. 
The meal was over, but no men, no horses appeared. 
When another half-hour had passed, my husband took 
Harry and commenced exploring in search of the missing 
ones. 

The day wore on, and first one and then another would 
make his appearance to report progress. Petaille and 
Lecuyer at length brought two of the horses, but the 
others could nowhere be found. In time, Mr. Kinzie and 
Harry returned, wet to their knees by the dew upon the long 
prairie-grass, but with no tidings. Again the men were 
dispatched after having broken their fast, but returned un- 
successful as before. 

The morning had been passed by our party at the en- 
campment in speculating upon the missing animals. Could 
they have been stolen by the Indians ? Hardly : these 
people seldom committed robberies in time of peace — 
never upon our family, whom they regarded as their best 
friends. The horses would doubtless be found. They had 
probably been carelessly fastened the preceding evening, 
and had therefore been able to stray farther than was 
their wont, 

A council was held, at which it was decided to send 
• Grignon back to Chicago to get some fresh horses from 
Gholson Kercheval, and return as speedily as possible. If 
on his return our encampment were deserted, he might 
conclude we had found the horses and proceeded to Fox 
River, where he would doubtless overtake us. 

He had not been gone more than an hour before, slowly 
hopping out of a point of woods to the north of us (a spot 
which each of the seekers averred he had explored over 
and over again), and making directly for the place where 



240 '^HE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

we were, appeared the vexatious animals. They came up 
as demurely as if nothing had happened, and seemed 
rather surprised to be received with a hearty scolding, 
instead of being patted and caressed as usual. 

It was the work of a very short half-hour to strike and 
pack the tent, stow away the mats and kettles, saddle the 
horses, and mount for our journey. 

" Whoever pleases may take my place in the carriage," 
said our mother. ''I have travelled so many years on 
horseback, that I find any other mode of conveyance too 
fatiguing." 

So, spite of her sixty years, she mounted sister Mar- 
garet's pacer with the activity of a girl of sixteen. 

Lieutenant Foster had left us early in the morning, feel- 
ing it necessary to rejoin his command, and now, having 
seen us ready to set off, with a serene sky above us, and 
all things "right and tight" for the journey, our friend 
the Sau-ga-nash took leave of us, and retraced his steps 
towards Chicago. 

We pursued our way through a lovely country of alter- 
nate glade and forest, until we reached the Fox River. 
The current ran clear and rippling along, and, as we 
descended the steep bank to the water, the question, so 
natural to a traveller in an unknown region, presented 
itself, " Is it fordable ?" 

Petaille, to whom the ground was familiar, had not yet 
made his appearance. Lecuyer was quite ignorant upon 
the subject. Th^ troops had evidently preceded us by this 
very trail. True, but they were on horseback — the diffi- 
culty was, could we get the carriage through ? It must 
be remembered that the doubt was not about the depth 
of the water, but about the hardness of the bottom of the 
stream. 

It was agreed that two or three of the equestrians 



kmrtlRN TO FORT WINNEBAGO. 24l 

should make the trial first. My mother, Lecuyer, and 
myself advanced cautiously across to the opposite bank, 
each choosing a different point for leaving the water, in 
order to find the firmest spot. The bottom was hard 
and firm until we came near the shore ; then it yielded a 
little. With one step, however, we were each on dry 
ground. 

" Est-il beau ?" called my husband, who was driving. 

" Oui, monsieur." 

"Yes, John, come just here, it is perfectly good." 

"No, no — go a little farther down. See the white 
gravel just there — it will be firmer still, there." 

Such were the contradictory directions given. He 
chose the latter, and when it wanted but one step more to 
the bank, down sunk both horses, until little more than 
their backs were visible. 

The white gravel proved to be a bed of treacherous 
yellow clay, which, gleaming through the water, had caused 
so unfortunate a deception. 

With frantic struggles, for they were nearly suffocated 
with mud and water, the horses made desperate efforts to 
free themselves from the harness. My husband sprang 
out upon the pole. " Some one give me a knife," he cried. 
I was back in the water in a moment, and, approaching 
as near as I dared, handed him mine from the scabbard 
■ around my neck. 

"Whatever you do, do not cut the traces," cried his 
mother. 

He severed some of the side-straps, when, just as he 
had reached the extremity of the pole, and was stretching 
forward to separate the head-couplings, one of the horses 
gave a furious plunge, which caused his fellow to rear, 
and throw himself nearly backwards. My husband was 
between them. For a moment we thought he was gone — 

21 



242 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

trampled down by the excited animals ; but he presently 
showed himself, nearly obscured by the mud and water. 
With the agility of a cat, Harry, who was near him, now 
sprang forward on the pole, and in an instant, with his 
sharp jack-knife which he had ready, divided the straps 
that confined their heads. 

The horses were at this moment lying floating on the 
water — one apparently dead, the other as if gasping out 
his last breath. But hardly did they become sensible of 
the release of their heads from bondage, than they made, 
simultaneously, another furious effort to free themselves 
from the pole, to which they were still attached by the 
neck-strap. 

Failing in this, they tried another expedient, and, by a 
few judicious twists and turns, succeeded in wrenching 
the pole asunder, and finally carried it ofl" in triumph across 
the river again, and up the bank, where they stood waiting 
to decide what were the next steps to be taken. 

Here was a predicament ! A few hours before, we had 
thought ourselves uncomfortable enough, because some of 
our horses were missing. Now, a greater evil had befallen 
us. The wagon was in the river, the harness cut to pieces, 
and, what was worse, carried ofi" in the most independent 
manner, by Tom and his companion ; the pole was twisted 
to fragments, and there was not so much as a stick on our 
side of the river with which to replace it. 

At this moment, a whoop from the opposite bank, 
echoed by two or three hearty ones from our party, an- 
nounced the reappearance of Petaille Grignon. He dis- 
mounted and took charge of the horses, who were resting 
themselves after their fatigues under a shady tree, and by 
this time Lecuyer had crossed the river, and now joined 
him in bringing back the delinquents. 

In the mean time we had been doing our best to minister 



RETURN TO FORT WINNEBAGO. 243 

to our sister Margaret. She, with her little son Edwiu, 
had been in the wagon at the time of the accident, and it 
had been a work of some difficulty to get them out and 
bring them on horseback to shore. The effect of the agita- 
tion and excitement was to throw her into a fit of the ague, 
and she now lay blue and trembling among the long grass 
of the little prairie which extended along the bank. The 
tent, which had been packed in the rear of the wagon, was 
too much saturated with mud and water to admit of its 
being used as a shelter ; it could only be stretched in the 
sun to dry. We opened an umbrella over our poor sister's 
head, and now began a discussion of ways and means to 
repair damages. The first thing was to cut a new pole for 
the wagon, and for this, the master and men must reeross 
the river and choose an iron-tree out of the forest. 

Then, for the harness. With provident care, a little box 
had been placed under the seat of the wagon, containing 
an awl, waxed ends, and various other little conveniences 
exactly suited to an emergency like the present. 
It was question and answer, like Cock Robin : 
"Who can mend the harness?" 

" I can, for I learned when I was a young girl to make 
shoes as an accomplishment, and I can surely now, as a 
matter of usefulness and duty, put all those wet, dirty 
pieces of leather together." 

So we all seated ourselves on the grass, under the shade 
of the only two umbrellas we could muster. 

I stitched away diligently, blistering my hands, I must 
own, in no small degree. 

A suitable young tree had been brought, and the 
hatchets, without which one never travels in the woods, 
were busy fashioning it into shape, when a peculiar hissing 
noise was heard, and instantly the cry, — 
*^Un serpent sonnette! A rattlesnake 1" 



244 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

All sprang to their feet, even the poor, shaking invalid, 
just in time to see the reptile glide past within three 
inches of my mother's feet, while the men assailed the 
spot it had left with whips, missiles, and whatever would 
help along the commotion. 

This little incident proved an excellent remedy for the 
ague. One excitement drives away another, and by means 
of this (upon the homoeopathic principle) sister Margaret 
was so much improved that by the time all the mischiefs 
were repaired, she was ready to take her place in the cav- 
alcade, as bright and cheerful as the rest of us. 

So great had been the delay occasioned by all these un- 
toward circumstances, that our afternoon's ride was but a 
short one, bringing us no farther than the shores of a 
beautiful sheet of water, now known as Crystal Lake. Its 
clear surface was covered with loons, and Poules d^Eau, 
a species of rail, with which, at certain seasons, this 
region abounds. ^ 

The Indians have the genius of JBsop for depicting 
animal life and character, and there is among them a fable 
or legend illustrative of every i>eculiarity in the personal 
appearance, habits, or dispositions of each variety of the 
animal creation. 

The back of the little rail is very concave, or hollow. 
The Indians tell us that it became so in the following 
manner: — 



STORY OF THE LITTLE RAIL, OR Poule d?Eau. 

There is supposed, by most of the Northwestern tribes, 
to exist an invisible being, corresponding to the " Genie" 
of Oriental story. Without being exactly the father of evil, 
Nan-nee-ho-zho is a spirit whose office it is to punish 
what is amiss. He is represented, too, as constantly 



RETURN TO FORT WINNEBAOO. 245 

occupied in entrapping and making examples of all the 
animals that come in his way. 

One pleasant evening, as he walked along the banks of 
a lake, he saw a flock of ducks, sailing and enjoying them- 
selves on the blue waters. He called to them : 

" Ho ! come with me into my lodge, and I will teach 
you to dance!" Some of the ducks said among themselves, 
'' It is Nan-nee-bo-zho; let us not go." Others were of a 
contrary opinion, and, his words being fair, and his voice 
insinuating, a few turned their faces towards the land— all 
the rest soon followed, and, with many pleasant quackings, 
trooped after him, and entered his lodge. 

When there, he first took an Indian sack, with a wide 
mouth, which he tied by the strings around his neck, so 
that it would hang over his shoulders, leaving the mouth 
unclosed. Then, placing himself in the centre of the lodge, 
he ranged the ducks in a circle around him. 

"Now," said he, "you must all shut your eyes tight; 
whoever opens his eyes at all, something dreadful will 
happen to him. I will take my Indian flute and play upon 
it, and you will, at the word I shall give, open your eyes, 
and commence dancing, as you see me do." 

The ducks obeyed, shutting their eyes tight, and keeping 
time to the music by stepping from one foot to the other, 
all impatient for the dancing to begin. 
■ Presently a sound was heard like a smothered "quack," 
but the ducks did not dare to open their eyes. 

Again, and again, the sound of the flute would be inter- 
rupted, and a gurgling cry of "qu-a-a-ck" be heard. There 
was one little duck, much smaller than the rest, who, at 
this juncture, could not resist the temptation to open one 
eye, cautiously. She saw Nan-nee-bo-zho, as he played 
his flute, holding it with one hand, stoop a little at intervals 
and seize the duck nearest him, which he throttled and 

21* 



stuffed into the bag on his shoulders. So, edging a little 
out of the circle, and getting nearer the door, which had 
been left partly open to admit the light, she cried out, — 

" Open your eyes — Nan-nee-bo-zho is choking you all 
and putting you into his bag !" 

With that she flew, but Nan-nee-bo-zho pounced upon 
her. His hand grasped her back, yet, with desperate 
force, she released herself and gained the open air. Her 
companions flew, quacking and screaming, after her. Some 
escaped, and some fell victims to the sprite. 

The little duck had saved her life, but she had lost her 
beauty. She ever after retained the attitude she had been 
forced into in her moment of danger — her back pressed 
down in the centre, and her head and neck unnaturally 
stretched forward into the air. 



CHAPTP]R XX Y. 

RETURN JOURNEY, CONTINUED. 

The third day of our journey rose brilliantly clear, like 
the two preceding ones, and we shaped our course more 
to the north than we had hitherto done, in the direction of 
Big-foot Lake, now known by the somewhat hackneyed 
appellation. Lake of Geneva. 

Our journey this day was without mishaps or disasters 
of any kind. The air was balmy, the foliage of the forests 
fresh and fragrant, the little brooks clear and sparkling — 
everything in nature spoke the praises of the beneficent 
Creator. 

It is in scenes like this, far removed from the bustle, 



RETURN TO FORT WINNEBAGO. 24 1 

the strife, and the sin of civilized life, that we most fully 
realize the presence of the great Author of the Universe. 
Here can the mind most fully adore his majesty and good- 
ness, for here only is the command obeyed, " Let all the 
earth keep silence before Him !" 

It cannot escape observation that the deepest and most 
solemn devotion is in the hearts of those who, shut out 
from the worship of God in temples made with hands, are 
led to commune with him amid the boundless magnificence 
that his own power has framed. 

This day was not wholly without incident. As we stopped 
for our noontide refreshment, and dismounting threw our- 
selves on the fresh herbage just at the verge of a pleasant 
thicket, we were startled by a tender bleating near us, and 
presently, breaking its way through the low branches, 
there came upon us a sweet little dappled fawn, evidently 
in search of its mother. It did not seem in the least 
frightened at the sight of us. As poor Selkirk might 
have been parodied, — 

It was so unacquainted with man, 
Its tameness was charming to us. 

But the vociferous delight of the children soon drove it 
bounding again into the woods, and all hopes of catching 
it for a pet were at once at an end. 

We had travelled well this day, and were beginning to 
feel somewhat fatigued, when, just before sunset, we came 
upon a ridge, overlooking one of the loveliest little dells 
imaginable. It was an oak opening, and browsing under 
the shade of the tall trees which were scattered around 
were the cattle and horses of the soldiers, who had got 
thus far on their journey. Two or three white tents were 
pitched in the bottom of the valley, beside a clear stream. 
The camp-fires were already lighted, and the men, singly 



248 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

or in groups, were busied in their various preparations for 
their own comfort, or that of their animals. 

Lieutenant Foster came forward with great delight to 
welcome our arrival, and accepted without hesitation an 
invitation to join our mess again, as long as we should be 
together. 

We soon found a pleasant encamping-ground, far enough 
removed from the other party to secure us against all in- 
convenience, and our supper having received the addition 
of a kettle of fine fresh milk, kindly brought us by Mrs. 
Gardiner, the hospital matron, who with her little covered 
cart formed no unimportant feature in the military group, 
we partook of our evening meal with much hilarity and 
enjoyment. 

If people are ever companionable, it is when thrown 
together under circumstances like the present. There has 
always been suflBcient incident through the day to furnish 
themes for discourse, and subjects of merriment, as long 
as the company feel disposed for conversation, which is, 
truth to tell, not an unconscionable length of time after 
their supper is over. 

The poor Lieutenant looked grave enough when we set 
out in advance of him the next morning. None of his 
party were acquainted with the road ; but, after giving him 
directions both general and particular, Mr. Kinzie promised 
to hlaze a tree, or set iip a chip for a guide, at every place 
which appeared more than usually doubtful. 

We now found ourselves in a much more diversified 
country than any we had hitherto travelled. Gently swell- 
ing hills, lovely valleys, and bright sparkling streams were 
the features of the landscape. But there was little animate 
life. Now and then a shout from the leader of the party 
(for, according to custom, we travelled Indian file) would 
call our attention to a herd of deer ''loping," as the West- 



RETURN- TO FORT WrNNEBAOO. 249 

erners say, through the forest ; or an additional spur 
would be given to the horses on the appearance of some 
small dark object, far distant on the trail before us. But 
the game invariably contrived to disappear before we could 
reach it, and it was out of the question to leave the beaten 
track for a regular hunt. 

Soon after mid-day, we descended a long, sloping knoll, 
and by a sudden turn came full in view of the beautiful 
sheet of water denominated Gros-pied by the French, 
Maimk-suck by the natives, and by ourselves Big-foot, 
from the chief whose village overlooked its waters. Bold, 
swelling hills jutted forward into the clear blue expanse, 
or retreated slightly to afford a green, level nook, as a 
resting-place for the dwelling of man. On the nearer 
shore stretched a bright, gravelly beach, across which 
coursed here and there a pure, sparkling rivulet to join 
the larger sheet of water. 

On a rising ground at the foot of one of the bold bluffs 
in the middle distance, a collection of neat wigwams 
formed, with their surrounding gardens, no unpleasant 
feature in the picture. 

A shout of delight burst involuntarily from the whole 
party, as this charming landscape met our view. "It 
was like the Hudson, only less bold — no, it was like the 
lake of the Forest Cantons, in the picture of the Chapel 
of William Tell ! What could be imagined more en- 
chanting ? Oh ! if our friends at the East could but enjoy 
it with us!" 

We paused long to admire, and then spurred on, skirt- 
ing the head of the lake, and were soon ascending the 
broad platform on which stood the village of Maunk-suck, 
or Big-foot. 

The inhabitants, who had witnessed our approach from 
a distance, were all assembled in front of their wigwams 



250 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

to greet us, if friends — if otherwise, whatever the occasion 
should demand. It was the first time such a spectacle 
had ever presented itself to their wondering eyes. Their 
salutations were not less cordial than we expected. 
" Shaw-nee-aw-kee" and his mother, who was known 
throughout the tribe by the touching appellation " Our 
friend's wife," were welcomed most kindly, and an ani- 
mated conversation commenced, which I could understand 
only so far as it was conveyed by gestures ; so I amused 
myself by taking a minute survey of all that met my 
view. 

The chief was a large, raw-boned, ugly Indian, with a 
countenance bloated by intemperance, and with a sinister, 
unpleasant expression. He had a gay -colored handker- 
chief upon his head, and was otherwise attired in his best, 
in compliment to the strangers. 

It was to this chief that Chambly, or, as he is now 
called, Shaw-bee-nay, Billy Caldwell, and Robinson were 
dispatched, by Dr. Wolcott, their Agent, during the Win- 
nebago war, in 1827, to use their earnest endeavors to 
prevent this chief and his band from joining the hostile 
Indians. With some difficulty they succeeded, and were 
thus the means, doubtless, of saving the lives of all the 
settlers who lived exposed upon the frontier. 

Among the various groups of his people, there was 
none attracted my attention so forcibly as a young man 
of handsome face, and a figure that was striking even 
where all were fine and symmetrical. He too had a gay 
handkerchief on his head, a shirt of the brightest lemon- 
colored calico, an abundance of silver ornaments, and, 
what gave his dress a most fanciful appearance, one legging 
of blue and the other of bright scarlet. I was not igno- 
rant that this peculiar feature in his toilet indicated a 
heart suffering from the tender passion. The flute, wbicb 



RETURN TO FORT WINNEBAGO. 251 

he carried in his hand, added confirmation to the fact, 
while the joyous, animated expression of his countenance 
showed with equal plainness that he was not a despairing 
lover. 

I could have imagined him to have recently returned 
from the chase, laden with booty, with which he had, as 
is the custom, entered the lodge of the fair one, and 
thrown his burden at the feet of her parents, with an in- 
different, superb sort of air, as much as to say, " Here is 
some meat— it is a mere trifle, but it will show you what 
you might expect with me for a son-in-law." I could not 
doubt that the damsel had stepped forward and gathered 
it up, in token that she accepted the offering, and the 
donor along with it. There was nothing in the appear- 
ance or manner of any of the maidens by whom we were 
surrounded, to denote which was the happy fair, neither, 
although I peered anxiously into all their countenances, 
could I there detect any blush of consciousness ; so I was 
obliged to content myself with selecting the youngest and 
prettiest of the group, and go on weaving my romance to 
my own satisfaction. 

The village stood encircled by an amphitheatre of hills, 
so precipitous, and with gorges so steep and narrow, that 
it seemed almost impossible to scale them, even on horse- 
back; how, then, could we hope to accomplish the ascent 
■ of the four-wheeled carriage ? This was the point now 
under discussion between my husband and the Pottowat- 
tamies. There was no alternative but to make the effort, 
selecting the pass that the inhabitants pointed out as the 
most practicable. Petaille went first, and I followed on 
my favorite Jerry. It was such a scramble as is not often 
taken,— almost perpendicularly, through what seemed the 
dry bed of a torrent, now filled with loose stones, and 
scarcely affording one secure foothold from the bottom to 



252 TEE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

the summit ! I clung fast to the mane, literally at times 
clasping Jerry around his neck, and, amid the encouraging 
shouts and cheers of those below, we at length arrived 
safely, though nearly breathless, on the pinnacle, and sat 
looking down, to view the success of the next party. 

The horses had been taken from the carriage, the lug- 
gage it contained being placed upon the shoulders of some 
of the young Indians, to be toted up the steep. Ropes 
were now attached to its sides, and a regular bevy of our 
red friends, headed by our two Frenchmen, placed to man 
them. Two or three more took their places in the rear, to 
hold the vehicle and keep it from slipping backwards — 
then the labor commenced. Such a pulling! such a 
shouting! such a clapping of hands by the spectators 
of both sexes ! such a stentorian word of command or en- 
couragement from the bourgeois ! Now and then there 
would be a slight halt, a wavering, as if carriage and men 
were about to tumble backwards into the plain below ; 
but no — they would recover themselves, and after incredi- 
ble efforts they too safely gained the table-land above. In 
process of time all were landed there, and, having remu- 
nerated our friends to their satisfaction, the goods and 
chattels were collected, the wagon repacked, and we set 
off for our encampment at Turtle Creek. 

The exertions and excitement of our laborious ascent, 
together with the increasing heat of the sun, made this 
afternoon's ride more uncomfortable than anything we had 
previously felt. We were truly rejoiced when the whoop 
of our guide, and the sight of a few scattered lodges, gave 
notice that we had reached our encamping-ground. We 
chose a beautiful sequestered spot by the side of a clear, 
sparkling stream, and, having dismounted and seen that 
our horses were made comfortable, my husband, after giv- 
ing his directions to his men, led me to a retired spot where 



RETURN TO FORT WINNEBAGO. 253 

I could lay aside my hat and mask and bathe my flushed 
face and aching head in the cool, refreshing waters. 
Never had I felt anything so grateful, so delicious. I sat 
down, and leaned my head against one of the tall, over- 
shadowing trees, and was almost dreaming, when sum- 
moned to partake of our evening meal. 

The Indians had brought us, as a present, some fine 
brook trout, which our Frenchmen had prepared in the 
most tempting fashion, and before the bright moon rose 
and we were ready for oar rest, all headache and fatigue 
had alike disappeared. 

One of the most charming features of this mode of 
travelling is the joyous, vocal life of the forest at early 
dawn, when all the feathered tribe come forth to pay their 
cheerful salutations to the opening day. 

The rapid, chattering flourish of the bob-o'-link, the soft 
whistle of the thrush, the tender coo of the wood-dove, 
the deep, warbling bass of the grouse, the drumming of 
the partridge, the melodious trill of the lark, the gay carol 
of the robin, the friendly, familiar call of the duck and the 
teal, resound from tree and knoll and lowland, prompting 
the expressive exclamation of the simple half-breed, — 

" Voila la foret qui parle !"* 

It seems as if man must involuntarily raise his voice, to 
take part in the general chorus — the matin song of praise. 
Birds and flowers, and the soft balmy airs of morning I 
Must it not have been in a scene like this that Milton's 
Adam poured out his beautiful hymn of adoration, — 

" These are thy glorious works, Parent of Good" ? 
* How the woods talk ! 



254 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

This day we were journeying in hopes to reach, at an 
early hour, that broad expanse of the Rock River which 
here forms the Kosh-ko-nong. The appellation of this 
water, rendered doubly affecting by the subsequent fate of 
its people, imports ''the lake we live 071^ 

Our road for the early part of the day led through forests 
so thick and tangled that Grignon and Lecuyer were 
often obliged to go in advance as pioneers with their axes, 
to cut away the obstructing shrubs and branches. It was 
slow work, and at times quite discouraging, but we were 
through with it at last, and then we came into a country 
of altogether a different description, — low prairies, inter- 
sected with deep, narrow streams like canals, the passage 
of which, either by horses or carriages, was often a matter 
of delay and even difficulty. 

Several times in the course of the forenoon the horses 
were to be taken from the carriage and the latter pulled 
and pushed across the deep narrow channels as best it 
might. 

The wooded banks of the Kosh-ko-nong were never 
welcomed with greater delight than by us when they at 
length broke upon our sight. A ride of five or six miles 
through the beautiful oak openings brought us to Man- 
eater^s village, a collection of neat bark wigwams, with 
extensive fields on each side of corn, beans, and squashes, 
recently planted, but already giving promise of a fine crop. 
In front was the broad blue lake, the shores of which, to 
the south, were open and marshy, but near the village, 
and stretching far away to the north, were bordered by 
fine lofty trees. The village was built but a short distance 
below the point where the Rock River opens into the lake, 
and during a conversation between our party and the 
Indians at the village, an arrangement was made with 
them to take us across at a spot about half a mile above. 



RETURN TO FORT WINNEBAOO. 255 

After a short halt, we again took up our line of march 
through the woods, along the bank of the river. 

A number of the Winnebagoes (for we had been among 
our own people since leaving Gros-pied Lake) set out for 
the appointed place by water, paddling their canoes, of 
which they had selected the largest and strongest. 

Arrived at the spot indicated, we dismounted, and the 
men commenced the task of unsaddling and unloading. 
We were soon placed in the canoes, and paddled across to 
the opposite bank. Next, the horses were swum across- 
after them was to come the carriage. Two long wooden 
canoes were securely lashed together side by side, and 
being of sufficient width to admit of the carriage standmg 
within them, the passage was commenced. Agam and 
ao-ain the tottering barks would sway from side to side, 
and a cry or a shout would arise from our party on shore, 
as the whole mass seemed about to plunge sideways into 
the water, but it would presently recover itself, and at 
length, after various deviations from the perpendicular, it 
reached the shore in safety. 

We now hoped that our troubles were at an end, and 
that we had nothing to do but to mount and trot on as 
fast as possible to Fort Winnebago. But no. Half a 
mile farther on was a formidable swamp, of no great 
width it is true, but with a depth of from two to three 
• feet of mud and water. It was a question whether, with 
the carriage, we could get through it at all. Several of 
the Indians accompanied us to this place, partly to give 
us their aid and counsel, and partly to enjoy the fun of the 

spectacle. 

On reaching the swamp, we were disposed to laugh at 
the formidable representations which had been made to 
us. We saw only a strip of what seemed rather low land, 
covered with tall, dry rushes. 



256 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

It is true the ground looked a little wet, but there 
seemed nothing to justify all the apprehensions that had 
been excited. Great was my surprise, then, to see my 
husband, who had been a few minutes absent, return to 
our circle attired in his duck trousers, and without shoes 
or stockings. 

" What are you going to do ?" inquired I. 

" Carry you through the swamp on my shoulders. 
Come, Petaille, you are the strongest — you are to carry 
Madame Kinzie, and To-shun-nuck there (pointing to a 
tall, stout Winnebago), he will take Madame Helm." 

'' Wait a moment," said I, and, seating myself on the 
grass, I deliberately took off my own boots and stockings. 

" What is that for ?" they all asked. 

"Because I do not wish to ride with wet feet all the 
rest of the day." 

" No danger of that," said they, and no one followed 
my example. 

By the time they were in the midst of the swamp, how- 
ever, they found my precaution had been by no means 
useless. The water through which our bearers had to 
pass was of such a depth that no efforts of the ladies were 
sufficient to keep their feet above the surface ; and I had 
the satisfaction of feeling that my burden upon my hus- 
band's shoulders was much less, from my being able to 
keep my first position instead of changing constantly to 
avoid a contact with the water. 

The laugh was quite on my side when I resumed my 
equipment and mounted, dry-shod, into my saddle. 

It will be perceived that journeying in the woods is, in 
some degree, a deranger of ceremony and formality ; that it 
necessarily restricts us somewhat in our conventionalities. 
The only remedy is, to make ourselves amends by a double 
share when we return to the civilized walks of life. 



RETURN TO FORT WINNEBAGO. 251 

By dint of much pulling, shouting, encouraging, and 
threatening, the horses at length dragged the carriage 
through the difficult pass, and our red friends were left 
to return to their village, with, doubtless, a very exag- 
gerated and amusing account of all that they had seen 
and assisted in. 

We had not forgotten our promise to Lieutenant Foster 
to put up a "guide-board" of some sort, for his accom- 
modation in following us. We therefore, upon several 
occasions, carried with us from the woods a few pieces, 
of three or four feet in length, which we planted at cer- 
tain points, with a transverse stick through a cleft in 
the top, thus marking the direction he and his party were 
to take. 

We therefore felt sure that, although a few days later, 
he would find our trail, and avail himself of the same 
assistance as we had, in getting through the difficulties 
of the way. 

Our encamping-ground, this night, was to be not far 
distant from the Four Lakes. We were greatly fatigued 
with the heat and exercise of the day, and most anxiously 
did we look out for the clumps of willows and alders 
which were to mark the spot where water would be found. 
We felt hardly equal to pushing on quite to the bank of 
the nearest lake. Indeed, it would have taken us too much 
off our direct course. 

When we, at a late hour, came upon a spot fit for our 
purpose, we exchanged mutual congratulations that this 
was to be our last night upon the road. The next day we 
should be at Winnebago ! 

Our journey had been most delightful — a continued 
scene of exhilaration and enjoyment ; for the various mis- 
haps, although for the moment they had perplexed, yet, in 
the end, had but added to our amusement. Still, with the 

22* 



258 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

inconstancy of human nature, we were pleased to exchange 
its excitement for the quiet repose of home. 

Our next morning's ride was of a more tranquil char- 
acter than any that had preceded it ; for at an early hour 
we entered upon what was known as the '' Twenty-mile 
Prairie," — and I may be permitted to observe that the 
miles are wonderfully long on the prairies. Our passage 
over this was, except the absence of the sand, like crossing 
the desert. Mile after mile of unbroken expanse — not a 
tree — not a living object except ourselves. 

The sun, as if to make himself amends for his two 
months' seclusion, shone forth with redoubled brilliancy. 
There is no such thing as carrying an umbrella on horse- 
back, though those in the wagon were able to avail them- 
selves of such a shelter. 

Our mother's energies had sustained her in the saddle 
until this day, but she was now fairly obliged to give in, 
and yield her place on little Brunet to sister Margaret. 

Thus we went on, one little knoll rising beyond another, 
from the summit of each of which, in succession, we hoped 
to descry the distant woods, which were to us as the 
promised land. 

" Take courage," were the cheering words, often re- 
peated ; "very soon you will begin to see the timber." 

Another hour would pass heavily by. 

*' Now, when we reach the rising ground just ahead, 
look s/iarp." 

We would look sharp — nothing but the same unvarying 
landscape. 

There were not even streams to allay the feverish thirst 
occasioned by fatigue and impatience. 

At length a whoop from Shaw-nee-aw-kee broke the 
silence in which we were pursuing our way. 

''Le voilkl" (There it is 1) 



RETURN TO FORT WINNEBAGO. 259 

Our less practised eye could not at first discern the 
faint blue strip edging the horizon, but it grew and grew 
upon our vision, and fatigue and all discomfort propor- 
tionably disappeared. 

We were in fine spirits by the time we reached " Hast- 
ings's Woods," a noble forest, watered by a clear, sparkling 
stream. 

Grateful as was the refreshment of the green foliage 
and the cooling waters, we did not allow ourselves to 
forget that the day was wearing on, and that we must, 
if possible, complete our journey before sunset ; so we soon 
braced up our minds to continue our route, although we 
would gladly have lingered another hour. 

The marsh of Duck Creek was, thanks to the heat of the 
past week, in a very different state from what it had been 
a few months previous, when I had been so unfortunately 
submerged in its icy waters. 

We passed it without difficulty, and soon found our- 
selves upon the banks of the creek. 

The stream, at this point, was supposed to be always 
fordable ; and even were it not so, that to the majority 
of our party would have been a matter of little moment. 
To the ladies, however, the subject seemed to demand 
consideration. 

" This water looks very deep — are you sure we can 
cross it on horseback ?" 

"Oh, yes! Petaille, go before, and let us see how the 
water is." 

Petaille obeyed. He was mounted on a horse like a giraffe, 
and, extending his feet horizontally, he certainly managed 
to pass through the stream without much of a wetting. 

It seemed certain that the water would come into the 
wagon, but that was of the less consequence as, in case 
of the worst, the passengers could mount upon the seats. 



260 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

My horse, Jerry, was above the medium height, so 
that I soon passed over, with no inconvenience but that 
of being obliged to disengage my feet from the stirrups 
and tuck them up snugly against the mane of the horse. 

Sister Margaret was still upon Br u net. She was ad- 
vised to change him for one of the taller horses, but while 
the matter was under debate, it was settled by the per- 
verse little wretch taking to the water most unceremoni- 
ously, in obedience to the example of the other animals. 

He was soon beyond his depth, and we were at once 
alarmed and diverted at seeing his rider, with surprising 
adroitness, draw her feet from the stirrups and perch 
herself upon the top of the saddle, where she held her 
position, and navigated her little refractory steed safely to 
land. 

This was the last of our adventures. A pleasant ride 
of four miles brought us to the Fort, just as the sun was 
throwing his last beams over the glowing landscape ; and 
on reaching the ferry we were at once conducted, by the 
friends who were awaiting us, to the hospitable roof of 
Major Twiggs. 



FOUR-LEGS, THE DANDY. 261 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

FOUR-LEGS, THE DANDY. 

The companies of the First Infantry, which had hitherto 
been stationed at Fort Winnebago, had before our arrival 
received orders to move on to the Mississippi as soon as 
relieved by a portion of the Fifth, now at Fort Howard. 

As many of the officers of the latter regiment were 
married, we had reason to expect that all the quarters at 
the post would be put in requisition. For this reason, 
although strongly pressed by Major Twiggs to take up 
our residence again in the Fort until he should go on 
furlough, we thought it best to establish ourselves at once 
at "the Agency." 

It seemed laughable to give so grand a name to so very 
insignificant a concern. We had been promised, by the 
heads of department at Washington, a comfortable dwell- 
ing so soon as there should be an appropriation by Con- 
gress sufficient to cover any extra expense in the Indian 
Department. It was evident that Congress had a great 
spite at us, for it had delayed for two sessions attending 
to our accommodation. There was nothing to be done, 
therefore, but to make ourselves comfortable with the best 
means in our power. 

The old log barracks, which had been built for the 
officers and soldiers on the first establishment of the post, 
two years previous, had been removed by our French 
engages and put up again upon the little hill opposite the 
Fort. To these some additions were now made in the 



262 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

shape of dairy, stables, smoke-house, etc, constructed of 
tamarack logs brought from the neighboring swamp. The 
whole presented a very rough and primitive appearance. 

The main building consisted of a range of four rooms, 
no two of which communicated with each other, but each 
opened by a door into the outward air. A small window 
cut through the logs in front and rear, gave light to the 
apartment. An immense clay chimney for every two 
rooms, occupied one side of each, and the ceiling over- 
head was composed of a few rough boards laid upon the 
transverse logs that supported the roof. 

It was surprising how soon a comfortable, homelike air 
was given to the old dilapidated rooms, by a few Indian 
mats spread upon the floor, the piano and other furniture 
ranged in their appropriate places, and even a few pictures 
hung against the logs. The latter, alas ! had soon to be 
displaced, for with the first heavy shower the rain found 
entrance through sundry crevices, and we saw ourselves 
obliged to put aside, carefully, everything that could be 
injured by the moisture. We made light of these evils, 
however — packed away our carpets and superfluous furni- 
ture upon the boards above, which we dignified with the 
name of attic, and contentedly resolved to await the time 
when Government should condescend to remember us. 
The greatest inconvenience I experienced, was from the 
necessity of wearing my straw bonnet throughout the day, 
as I journeyed from bedroom to parlor, and from parlor to 
kitchen. I became so accustomed to it that I even some- 
times forgot to remove it when I sat down to table, or to 
my quiet occupations with my mother and sister. 

Permission was, however, in time, received to build a 
house for the blacksmith — that is, the person kept in pay 
by the Government at this station to mend the guns, traps, 
etc. of the Indians. 



FOUR-LEOS, THE DANDY. 263 

It happened most fortunately for us that Monsieur Isi- 
dore Morrin was a bachelor, and quite satisfied to con- 
tinue boarding with his friend Louis Frum, dit Manaigre, 
so that when the new house was fairly commenced we 
planned it and hurried it forward entirely on our own 
account. 

It was not very magnificent, it is true, consisting of but 
a parlor and two bedrooms on the ground-floor, and two 
low chambers under the roof, with a kitchen in the rear ; 
but compared with the rambling old stable-like building 
we now inhabited, it seemed quite a palace. 

Before it was completed, Mr. Kinzie was notified that 
the money for the annual Indian payment was awaiting 
his arrival in Detroit to take it in charge and superintend 
its transportation to the Portage ; and he was obliged to 
set off at once to fulfil this part of his duty. 

The workmen who had been brought from the Mis- 
sissippi to erect the main building, were fully competent 
to carry on their work without an overseer; but the 
kitchen was to be the task of the Frenchmen, and the 
question was, how could it be executed in the absence of 
the bourgeois'^ 

" You will have to content yourselves in the old quarters 
until my return," said my husband, '' and then we will 
soon have things in order." His journey was to be a 
long and tedious one, for the operations of Government 
were not carried on by railroad and telegraph in those 
days. 

After his departure I said to the men, " Come, you have 
all your logs cut and hauled — the squaws have brought 
the bark for the roof — what is to prevent our finishing the 
house and getting all moved and settled to surprise Mon- 
sieur John on his return ?" 

"Ah! to be sure, Madame John," said Plante, who was 



264 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

always the spokesman, ** provided the one who plants a 
green bough on the chimney-top is to have a treat." 

" Certainly. All hands fall to work, and see who will 
win the treat." 

Upon the strength of such an inducement to the one 
who should put the finishing stroke to the building, 
Plante, Pillon, and Manaigre, whom the waggish Plante 
persisted in calling " mon n5gre," whenever he felt him- 
self out of the reach of the other's arm, all went vigor- 
ously to work. 

Building a log house is a somewhat curious process. 
First, as will be conceived, the logs are laid one upon 
another and jointed at the corners, until the walls have 
reached the required height. The chimney is formed by 
four poles of the proper length, interlaced with a wicker- 
work of small branches. A hole or pit is dug, near at 
hand, and, with a mixture of clay and water, a sort of 
mortar is formed. Large wisps of hay are filled with this 
thick substance, and fashioned with the hands into what 
are technically called ''clay cats,^^ and these are filled in 
among the frame-work of the chimney until not a chink is 
left. The whole is then covered with a smooth coating of 
the wet clay, which is denominated "plastering." 

Between the logs which compose the walls of the build- 
ing, small bits of wood are driven, quite near together ; 
this is called " chinking," and after it is done, clay cats are 
introduced, and smoothed over with the plaster. When all 
is dry, both walls and chimney are whitewashed, and pre- 
sent a comfortable and tidy appearance. 

The roof is formed by laying upon the transverse logs 
thick sheets of bark." Around the chimney, for greater 
security against the rain, we took care to have placed a 
few layers of the palisades that had been left when Mr. 
Peach, an odd little itinerant genius, had fenced in our 



FOUR-LEGS, THE DANDY. 265 

garden, the pride and wonder of the surrounding settle- 
ment and wigwams. 

While all these matters were in progress, we received 
frequent visits from our Indian friends. First and foremost 
among them was "the young Dandy," Four-Legs. 

One fine morning he made his appearance, accompanied 
by two squaws, whom he introduced as his wives. He 
could speak a little Chippewa, and by this means he and 
our mother contrived to keep up something of a conversa- 
tion. He was dressed in all his finery, brooches, wampum, 
fan, looking-glass and all. The paint upon his face and 
chest showed that he had devoted no small time to the 
labors of his toilet. 

He took a chair, as he had seen done at Washington, 
and made signs to his women to sit down upon the floor. 

The custom of taking two wives is not very general 
among the Indians. They seem to have the sagacity to 
perceive that the fewer they have to manage, the more 
complete is the peace and quiet of the wigwam. 

Nevertheless, it sometimes happens that a husband 
takes a foolish fancy for a second squaw, and in that case 
he uses all his cunning and eloquence to reconcile the first 
to receiving a new inmate in the lodge. Of course it is a 
matter that must be managed adroitly, in order that har- 
mony may be preserved. 

" My dear, your health is not very good ; it is time you 
should have some rest. You have worked very hard, and 
it grieves me that you should have to labor any longer. 
Let me get you some nice young squaw to wait upon 
you, that you may live at ease all the rest of your life." 

The first wife consents ; indeed, she has no option. If 
she is of a jealous, vindictive disposition, what a life the 
new-comer leads ! The old one maintains all her rights 
of dowager and duenna, and the husband's tenderness is 



THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

hardly a compensation for all the evils the young rival is 
made to suffer. 

It was on Sunday morning that this visit of the Dandy 
was made to us. We were all seated quietly, engaged in 
reading. Four-Legs inquired of my mother, why we 
were so occupied, and why everything around us was so 
still. 

My mother explained to him our observance of the day 
of rest — that we devoted it to worshipping and serving the 
Great Spirit, as he had commanded in his Holy Word. 

Four-Legs gave a nod of approbation. That was very 
right, he said — he was glad to see us doing our duty — he 
was very religious himself, and he liked to see others so. 
He always took care that his squaws attended to their 
duties, — not reading, perhaps, but such as the Great Spirit 
liked, and such as he thought proper and becoming. 

He seemed to have no fancy for listening to any ex- 
planation of our points of difference. The impression 
among the Winnebagoes "that if the Great Spirit had 
wished them different from what they are, he would have 
made them so," seems too strong to yield to either argu- 
ment or persuasion. 

Sometimes those who are desirous of appearing some- 
what civilized will listen quietly to all that is advanced 
on the subject of Christianity, then, coolly saying, '' Yes, 
we believe that too," will change the conversation to 
other subjects. 

As a general thing, they do not appear to perceive that 
there is anything to be gained by adopting the religion 
and the customs of the whites. " Look at them," they 
say, " always toiling and striving — always wearing a brow 
of care — shut up in houses — afraid of the wind and the 
rain — suffering when they are deprived of the comforts of 
life 1 We, on the contrary, live a life of freedom and hap- 



FOUR-LEOS, THE DANDY. 267 

piness. We hunt and fish, and pass our time pleasantly 
in the open woods and prairies. If we are hungry, we 
take some game ; or, if we do not find that, we can go 
without. If our enemies trouble us, we can kill them, and 
there is no more said about it. What should we gain by 
changing ourselves into white men ?"* 

Christian missionaries, with all their efforts to convert 
them, had at this day made little progress in enlighten- 
ing their minds upon the doctrines of the Gospel. Mr. 
Mazzuchelli, a Roman Catholic priest, accompanied by 
Miss Elizabeth Grignon as interpreter, made a mission- 
ary visit to the Portage during our residence there, and, 
after some instruction from him, about forty consented to 
be baptized. Christian names were given to them, with 
which they seemed much pleased ; and not less so with 
the little plated crucifixes which each received, and which 
the women wore about their necks. These they seemed 
to regard with a devotional feeling ; but I was not suflS- 
ciently acquainted with their language to gather from 
them whether they understood the doctrine the symbol was 
designed to convey. Certain it is, they expressed no wish 
to learn our language, in order that they might gain a 
fuller knowledge of the Saviour, nor any solicitude to be 
taught more about him than they had received during the 
missionary's short visit. 

One woman, to whom the name of Charlotte had been 
given, signified a desire to learn the domestic ways of the 
whites, and asked of me as a favor through Madame 
Paquette that she might be permitted to come on " wash- 



* It will be remembered that these were the arguments used at a period 
when the Indians possessed most of the broad lands on the Upper Missis- 
sippi and its tributaries — when they were still allowed some share of the 
blessings of life. 



268 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

ing-day," and learn of my servants our way of managing 
the business. A tub was given her, and my woman in- 
structed her, by signs aod example, how she was to man- 
age. As I was not a little curious to observe how things 
went on, I proceeded after a time to the kitchen where 
they all were. Charlotte was at her tub, scouring and 
rubbing with all her might at her little crucifix. Two 
other squaws sat upon the floor near her, watching the 
operation. 

" That is the work she has been at for the last half- 
hour," said Josette, in a tone of great impatience. "SheHl 
never learn to wash." 

Charlotte, however, soon fell diligently to work, and 
really seemed as if she would tear her arms ofl", with her 
violent exertions. 

After a time, supposing that she must feel a good deal 
fatigued and exhausted with the unaccustomed labor, I 
did what it was at that day very much the fashion to do, 
— what, at home, I had always seen done on washing-day, 
— what, in short, I imagine was then a general custom 
among housekeepers. I went to the dining-room closet, 
intending to give Charlotte a glass of wine or brandy and 
water. My " cupboard" proved to be in the state of the 
luckless '' Mother Hubbard's"^ — nothing of the kind could 
I find but a bottle of orange shrub. 

Of this I poured out a wineglassful, and, carrying it 
out, offered it to the woman. She took it with an expres- 
sion of great pleasure ; but, in carrying it to her lips, she 
stopped short, and exclaiming, " Whiskey I" immediately 
returned it to me. I would still have pressed it upon her ; 
for, in my inexperience, I really believed it was a cordial 
she needed ; but, pointing to her crucifix, she shook her 
head and returned to her work. 

I received this as a lesson more powerful than twenty 



THE CUT-NOSE. 269 

sermons. It was the first time in my life that I had ever 
seen spirituous liquors rejected upon a religious principle, 
and it made an impression upon me that I never forgot. 



CHAPTER XXYII. 



THE CUT-NOSE. 



Among the women of the tribe with whom we early be- 
came acquainted, our greatest favorite was a daughter of 
one of the Day-kau-rays. This family, as I have else- 
where said, boasted in some remote generation a cross of 
the French blood, and this fact might account for the fair 
complexion and soft curling hair which distinguished our 
friend. She had a noble forehead, full, expressive eyes, 
and fine teeth. Unlike the women of her people, she had 
not grown brown and haggard with advancing years. In- 
deed, with the exception of one feature, she might be 
called beautiful. 

She had many years before married a Mus-qua-kee, or 
Fox Indian, and, according to the custom among all the 
tribes, the husband came home to the wife's family, and 
lived among the Winnebagoes. 

It is this custom, so exactly the reverse of civilized 
ways, that makes the birth of a daughter a subject of pe- 
culiar rejoicing in an Indian family. " She will bring 
another hunter to our lodge," is the style of mutual con- 
gratulation. 

The Mus-qua-kee continued, for some few years, to live 
among his wife's relations ; but, as no children blessed 
their union, he at length became tired of his new friends, 

23* 



2t0 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

and longed to return to his own people. He tried, for a 
time, to persuade his wife to leave her home, and accom- 
pany him to the Mississippi, on the banks of which the 
Sauks and Foxes lived, but in vain. She could not resolve 
to make the sacrifice. 

One day, after many fruitless efforts to persuade her, he 
flew into a violent passion. 

" Then, if you will not go with me," said he, '* I will 
leave you ; but you shall never be the wife of any other 
man — I will mark you !" 

Saying this, he flew upon her, and bit off the end of her 
nose. This, the usual punishment for conjugal infidelity, 
is the greatest disgrace a woman can receive — it bars her 
forever from again entering the pale of matrimony. The 
wretch fled to his own people ; but his revenge fell short 
of its aim. Day-kau-ray was too well known and too 
universally respected to suffer opprobrium in any member 
of his family. This bright, loving creature in particular, 
won all hearts upon a first acquaintance — she certainly did 
ours, from the outset. 

She suffered much from rheumatism, and a remedy we 
gave her soon afforded her almost entire relief Her grati- 
tude knew no bounds. Notwithstanding that from long 
suffering she had become partially crippled, she would 
walk all the way from the Barribault, a distance of ten 
miles, as often as once in two or three weeks, to visit us. 
Then, to sit and gaze at us, to laugh with childish glee at 
everything new or strange that we employed ourselves 
about — to pat and stroke us every time we came near 
her — sometimes to raise our hand or arm and kiss it — 
these were her demonstrations of affection. And we 
loved her in return. It was always a joyful announce- 
ment when, looking out over the Portage road, somebody 
called out, " The Cut-nose is coming !" In time, however, 



THE CUT-NOSE. 271 

we learned to call her by her baptismal name of Elizabeth, 
for she, too, was one of Mr. Mazzuchelli's converts. 

She came one day, accompanied by a half-grown boy, 
carrying a young fawn she had brought me as a present. 
I was delighted with the pretty creature — with its soft 
eyes and dappled coat ; but having often heard the simile, 
'' as wild as a fawn," I did not anticipate much success in 
taming it. To my great surprise, it soon learned to follow 
me like a dog. Wherever I went, there Fan was sure to 
be. At breakfast, she would lie down at my feet, under 
the table. One of her first tokens of affection was to gnaw 
off all the trimming from my black silk apron, as she lay 
pretending to caress and fondle me. Nor was this her 
only style of mischief. 

One day we heard a great rattling among the crockery 
in the kitchen. We ran to see what was the matter, and 
found that Miss Fan had made her way to a shelf of the 
dresser, about two feet from the ground, and was endeavor- 
ing to find a comfortable place to lie down, among the 
plates and dishes. I soon observed that it was the shelter 
of the shelf above her head that was the great attraction, 
and that she was in the habit of seeking out a place of re- 
pose under a chair, or something approaching to an " um- 
brageous bower." So after this I took care, as the hour 
for her morning nap approached, to open a large green 
parasol, and set it on the matting in the corner — then 
when I called ''Fan, Fan," she would come and nestle 
under it, and soon fall fast asleep. 

One morning Fan was missing. In vain we called and 
sought her in the garden — in the enclosure for the cattle — 
at the houses of the Frenchmen — along the hill towards 
Paquette's — no Fan was to be found. We thought she 
had asserted her own wild nature and sped away to the 
woods. 



212 TBE EARLY DAY W TEE NORTHWEST. 

It was a hot forenoon, and the doors were all open. 
About dinner-time, in rushed Fan, panting violently, and 
threw herself upon her side, where she lay with her feet 
outstretched, her mouth foaming, and exhibiting all the 
signs of mortal agony. We tried to give Jier water, to 
soothe her, if perhaps it might be fright that so affected 
her ; but in a few minutes, with a gasp and a spasm, she 
breathed her last. Whether she had been chased by the 
greyhounds, or whether she had eaten some poisonous 
weed, which, occasioning her suffering, had driven her to 
her best friends for aid, we never knew ; but we lost our 
pretty pet, and many were the tears shed for her. 



Yery shortly after the departure of my husband, we 
received a visit from " the White Crow," the " Little 
Priest," and several others of the principal chiefs of the 
Rock River Indians. They seemed greatly disappointed 
at learning that their Father was from home, even though 
his errand was to get "the silver." We sent for Pa- 
quette, who interpreted for us the object of their visit. 

They had come to inform us that the Sauk chief Black 
Hawk and his band, who, in compliance with a former 
treaty, had removed some time previous to the west of the 
Mississippi, had now returned to their old homes and 
hunting-grounds, and expressed a determination not to 
relinquish them, but to drive off the white settlers who 
liad begun to occupy them. 

The latter, in fact, the chief had already done, and 
having, as it was said, induced some of the Pottowat- 
tamies to join him, there was reason to fear that he 
might persuade some of the Winnebagoes to follow their 
example. 

These chiefs had come to counsel with their Father, and 



THE CUT-NOSE. 273 

to assure him that they should do all ia their power to 
keep their young men quiet. They had heard that troops 
were being raised down among the whites in Illinois, and 
they had hopes that their people would be wise enough 
to keep out of difficulty. Furthermore, they begged that 
their Father, on his return, would see that the soldiers did 
not meddle with thera, so long as they remained quiet 
and behaved in a friendly manner. 

White Crow seemed particularly anxious to impress it 
upon me, that if any danger should arise in Shaw-nee-aw- 
kee's absence, he should come with his people to protect 
me and my family. I relied upon his assurances, for he 
had ever shown himself an upright and honorable Indian. 

Notwithstanding this, the thoughts of Indian troubles 
so near us, in the absence of our guardian and protector, 
occasioned us many an anxious moment, and it was not 
until we learned of the peaceable retreat of the Sauks and 
Foxes west of the Mississippi, that we were able wholly 
to lay aside our fears. 

We were now called to part with our friends. Major 
Twiggs and his family, which we did with heartfelt re- 
gret. He gave me a few parting words about our old 
acquaintance, Krissman. 

" When I went into the barracks the other day," said 
he, " about the time the men were taking their dinner, 
I noticed a great six-foot soldier standing against the 
window-frame, crying and blubbering. ' Halloo,' said I, 
' what on earth does this mean?' 

<* ' Why, that fellow there,' said Krissman (for it was 
he), ' has scrowged me out of my place !' 'A pretty soldier 
your protege will make, madam!" added the Major. 

I never heard more of my hero. Whether he went to 
exhibit his prowess against the Seminoles and Mexicans, 
or whether he returned to till the fertile soil of his native 



2Y4 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST, 

German Flats and blow his favorite boatman's horn, must 
be left for some future historian to tell. 

There is one more character to be disposed of — Louisa. 
An opportunity offering in the spring, the Major placed 
her under the charge of a person going to Buffalo, that 
she might be returned to her parents. In compliment to 
the new acquaintances she had formed, she shortened her 
skirts, mounted a pair of scarlet leggings embroidered with 
porcupine-quills, and took her leave of military life, hav- 
ing deposited with the gentleman who took charge of her 
sixty dollars, for safe keeping, which she remarked " she 
had saved up, out of her wages at a dollar a week, through 
the winter." 

A very short time after we were settled in our new 
borne at the Agency, we attempted the commencement of 
a little Sunday-school. Edwin, Harry and Josette were 
our most reliable scholars, but besides them there were 
the two little Manaigres, Therese Paquette, and her 
mother's half-sister, Florence Courville, a pretty young 
girl of fifteen. None of these girls had even learned their 
letters. They spoke only French, or rather the Canadian 
patois, and it was exceedingly difficult to give them at 
once the sound of the words, and their signification, which 
they were careful to inquire. Besides this, there was the 
task of correcting the false ideas, and remedying the igno- 
rance and superstition which presented so formidable an 
obstacle to rational improvement. We did our best, how- 
ever, and had the satisfaction of seeing them, after a time, 
making really respectable progress with their spelling- 
book, and, what was still more encouraging, acquiring a 
degree of light and knowledge in regard to better things. 

In process of time, however, Florence was often absent 
from her class. " Her sister," she said, " could not always 



INDIAN CUSTOMS AND DANCES. 275 

spare her. She wanted her to keep house while she her- 
self went over on Sunday to visit her friends the Roys, 
who lived on the Wisconsin." 

We reasoned with Madame Paquette on the subject. 
" Could she not spare Florence on some hour of the day ? 
We would gladly teach her on a week-day, for she seemed 
anxious to learn, but we had always been told that for 
that there was no time. " 

" Well — she would see. Madame Allum (Helm) and 
Madame John were so kind !" 

There was no improvement, however, in regularity. 
After a time Manaigre was induced to send his children to 
Mr. Cadle's mission-school at Green Bay. Ther^se accom- 
panied them, and very soon Florence discontinued her 
attendance altogether. 

We were obliged, from that time forward, to confine our 
instructions to our own domestic circle. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

INDIAN CUSTOMS AND DANCES. 

Before we had any right to look for my husband's re- 
turn, J one day received a message inviting me to come 
up to the new house. We all went in a body, for we had 
purposely stayed away a few days, expecting this summons, 
of which we anticipated the meaning. 

Plante, in full glee, was seated astride of a small keg 
on the roof, close beside the kitchen chimney, on the very 
summit of which he had planted a green bough. To this 



276 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

he held fast with one hand, while he exultingly waved the 
other and called out, — 

''Eh ban, Madame John ! d cette heure, pour le 
regal /" 

" Yes, Plante, you are entitled to a treat, and I hope 
you will not enjoy it the less that Pillon and Manaigre are 
to share it with you." 

A suitable gratification made them quite contented with 
their ''bourgeoise," against whom Plante had sometimes 
been inclined to grumble, "because," as he said, " she had 
him called up too early in the morning." He might have 
added, because, too, she could not understand the philoso- 
phy of his coming in to work in his own garden, under 
the plea that it was too rainy to work in Monsieur 
John's. 

It was with no ordinary feelings of satisfaction that we 
quitted the old log tenement and took possession of our 
new dwelling, small and insignificant though it was. 

I was only too happy to enjoy the luxury of a real bed- 
chamber, in place of the parlor floor which I had occupied 
as such for more than two months. It is true that our 
culinary arrangements were still upon no greatly improved 
plan. The clay chimney was not of suflBcient strength to 
hold the trammel and pot-hooks, which at that day had not 
been superseded by the cooking-stove and kitchen-range. 
Our fire was made as in the olden time, with vast logs 
behind, and smaller sticks in front, laid across upon the 
andirons or dogs. Upon these sticks were placed such of 
the cooking-utensils as could not be accommodated on the 
hearth ; but woe to the dinner or the supper, if through 
a little want of care or scrutiny one treacherous piece was 
suffered to burn away. Down would come the whole 
arrangement — kettles, saucepans, burning brands, and 
cinders, in one almost inextricable mass. How often 



INDIAN CUSTOMS AND DANCES. 277 

this happened under the supervision of Harry or little 
Josette, while the mistress was playing lady to some 
visitor in the parlor, " 'twere vain to tell." 

Then, spite of Monsieur Plante's palisades round the 
chimney, in a hard shower the rain would come pelting- 
down, and, the hearth unfortunately sloping a little the 
^wrong way, the fire would become extinguished; while, 
the bark on the roof failing to do its duty, we were now 
and then so completely deluged, that there was no re- 
source but to catch up the breakfast or dinner and tuck 
it under the table until better times — that is, till fair 
weather came again. In spite of all these little adverse 
occurrences, however, we enjoyed our new quarters ex- 
ceedingly. 

Our garden was well furnished with vegetables, and 
even the currant-bushes which we had brought from 
Chicago with us, tied in a bundle at the back of the 
carriage, had produced us some fruit. 

The Indian women were very constant in their visits 
and their presents. Sometimes it was venison— some- 
times ducks or pigeons — whortleberries, wild plums, or 
cranberries, according to the season — neat pretty mats for 
the floor or the table — wooden bowls or ladles, fancy work 
of deer-skin or porcupine-quills. These they would bring 
in and throw at my feet. If through inattention I failed 
to appear pleased, to raise the articles from the floor and 
lay them carefully aside, a look of mortification and the 
observation, '' Our mother hates our gifts," showed how 
much their feelings were wounded. It was always ex- 
pected that a present would be received graciously, and 
returned with something twice its value. 

Meantime, week after week wore on, and still was the 
return of " the master" delayed. 

The rare arrival of a schooner at Green Bay, in which 
24 



2t8 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

to take passage for Detroit, made it always a matter of 
uncertainty what length of time would be necessary for a 
journey across the lakes and back — so that it was not until 
the last of August that he again reached his home. Great 
was his surprise to find us so nicely moved and settled ; 
and under his active supervision the evils of which we 
had had to complain were soon remedied. 

My husband had met at Fort Gratiot, and brought with 
him, my young brother Julian, whom my parents were 
sending, at our request, to reside with us. Edwin was 
overjoyed to have a companion once more, for he had 
hitherto been very solitary. The boys soon had enough 
to occupy their attention, as, in obedience to a summons 
sent to the different villages, the Indians very shortly 
came flocking in to the payment. 

There was among their number, this year, one whom I 
had never before seen — the mother of the elder Day-kau- 
ray. No one could tell her age, but all agreed that she 
must have seen upwards of a hundred winters. Her eyes 
dimmed, and almost white with age — her face dark and 
withered, like a baked apple — her voice tremulous and 
feeble, except when raised in fury to reprove her graceless 
grandsons, who were fond of playing her all sorts of mis- 
chievous tricks, indicated the very great age she must 
have attained. 

She usually went upon all-fours, not having strength to 
hold herself erect. On the day of the payment, having 
received her portion, which she carefully hid in the corner 
of her blanket, she came crawling along and seated herself 
on the door-step, to count her treasure. 

My sister and I were watching her movements from 
the open window. 

Presently, just as she had, unobserved, as she thought, 
spread out her silver before her, two of her descendants 



INDIAN CUSTOMS AND DANCES. 279 

came suddenly upon her. At first they seemed begging 
for a share, but she repulsed them with angry gestures, 
when one of them made a sudden swoop, and possessed 
himself of a handful. 

She tried to rise, to pursue him, but was unable to do 
more than clutch the remainder and utter the most un- 
earthly screams of rage. At this instant the boys raised 
their eyes and perceived us regarding them. They burst 
into a laugh, and with a sort of mocking gesture they 
threw her the half-dollars, and ran back to the pay-ground. 

In spite of their vexatious tricks, she seemed very fond 
of them, and never failed to beg something of her Father, 
that she might bestow upon them. 

She crept into the parlor one morning, then straighten- 
ing herself up, and supporting herself by the frame of the 
door, she cried, in a most piteous tone, — " Shaw-nee-aw- 
kee! Wau-tshob-ee-rah Thsoonsh-koo-nee-noh !" (Silver- 
man, I have no looking-glass.) My husband, smiling and 
taking ijp the same little tone, cried, in return, — 

" Do you wish to look at yourself, mother ?" 

The idea seemed to her so irresistibly comic that she 
laughed until she was fairly obliged to seat herself upon 
the floor and give way to her enjoyment. She then owned 
that it was for one of the boys that she wanted the little 
mirror. When her Father had given it to her, she found 
that she had "no comb," then that she bad "no knife," 
then that she had "no calico shawl," until it ended, as it 
generally did, by Shaw-nee-aw-kee paying pretty dearly 
for his joke. 

When the Indians arrived and when they departed, my 
sense of " woman's rights" was often greatly outraged. 
The master of the family, as a general thing, came leisurely 
l)earing his gun and perhaps a lance in bis hand ; the 



280 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

woman, with the mats and poles of her lodge upon her 
shoulders, her pappoose, if she had one, her kettles, sacks 
of corn, and wild rice, and, not uufrequently, the house- 
hold dog perched on the top of all. If there is a horse or 
pony in the list of family possessions, the man rides, the 
squaw trudges after. 

This unequal division of labor is the result of no want 
of kind, affectionate feeling on the part of the husband. 
It is rather the instinct of the sex to assert their supe- 
riority of position and importance, when a proper occasion 
offers. When out of the reach of observation, and in no 
danger of compromising his own dignity, the husband is 
willing enough to relieve his spouse from the burden that 
custom imposes on her, by sharing her labors and hard- 
ships. 

The payment had not passed without its appropriate 
number of complimentary and medicine dances. Th( 
latter take place only at rare intervals — the former when 
ever an occasion demanding a manifestation of respect 
and courtesy presents itself. 

It is the custom to ask permission of the person to be 
complimented, to dance for him. This granted, prepara- 
tion is made by painting the face elaborately, and marking 
the person, which is usually bare about the chest and 
shoulders, after the most approved pattern. All the orna- 
ments that can be mustered are added to the hair, or head- 
dress. Happy is he who, in virtue of having taken one 
or more scalps, is entitled to proclaim it by a correspond- 
ing number of eagle's feathers. 

The less fortunate make a substitute of the feathers of 
the wild turkey, or, better still, of the first unlucky 
" rooster" that falls in their way. My poor fowls, during 
the time of payment, were always thoroughly plucked. 

When their preparations are completed, the dancers 



INDIAN CUSTOMS AND DANCES. 281 

assemble at some convenient place, whence they come 
marching to the spot appointed, accompanied by the music 
of the Indian drum and shee-shee-qua or rattle. They 
range themselves in a circle and dance with violent con- 
tortions and gesticulations, some of them graceful, others 
only energetic, the squaws, who stand a little apart and 
mingle their discordant voices with the music of the instru- 
ments, rarely participating in the dance. Occasionally, 
however, when excited by the general gaiety, a few of 
them will form a circle outside and perform a sort of un- 
graceful, up-and-down movement, which has no merit, 
save the perfect time which is kept, and for which the 
Indians seem, without exception, to possess a natural ear. 

The dance finished, which is only when the strength of 
the dancers is quite exhausted, a quantity of presents are 
brought and placed in the middle of the circle, by order 
of the party complimented. An equitable distribution is 
made by one of their number ; and, the object of all this 
display having been accomplished, they retire. 

The medicine dance is carried on chiefly to celebrate the 
skill of the "Medicine-man" in curing diseases. This 
functionary belongs to a fraternity who are supposed to 
add to their other powers some skill in interpreting the 
will of the Great Spirit in regard to the conduct of his 
people. He occasionally makes offerings and sacrifices 
which are regarded as propitiatory. In this sense, the 
term " priest" may be deemed applicable to him. He is 
also a " prophet" in so far as he is, in a limited degree, an 
instructor; but he does not claim to possess the gift of 
foretelling future events. 

A person is selected to join the fraternity of the "Medi- 
cine-man" by those already initiated, chiefly on account 
of some skill or sagacity that has been observed in him. 
Sometimes it happens that a person who has had a severe 

24* 



282 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

ilinoss which has yielded to the prescriptions of one of 
the members, is considered a proper object of choice from 
a sort of claim thus established. 

When he is about to be initiated, a g-reat feast is made, 
of course at the expense of the candidate, for in simple 
as in civilized life the same principle of politics holds 
good, "honors must be paid for." An animal is killed 
and dressed, of which the people at large partake — there 
are dances and songs and speeches in abundance. Then 
the chief Medicine-man takes the candidate and privately 
instructs him in all the ceremonies and knowledge neces- 
sary to make him an accomplished member of the fra- 
ternity. Sometimes the new member selected is still a 
child. In that case he is taken by the Medicine-man so 
soon as he reaches a proper age, and qualified by instruc- 
tion and example to become a creditable member of the 
fraternity. 

Among the Winnebagoes there seems a considerable 
belief in magic. Each Medicine-man has a bag or sack, 
in which is supposed to be inclosed some animal, to whom, 
in the course of their pow-wows, he addresses himself, 
crying to him in the note common to his imagined species. 
And the people seem to be persuaded that the answers 
which are announced are really communications, in this 
form, from the Great Spirit. 

The Indians appear to have no idea of a retribution be- 
yond this life. They have a strong appreciation of the 
great fundamental virtues of natural religion — the wor- 
ship of the Great Spirit, brotherly love, parental affection, 
honesty, temperance, and chastity. Any infringement of 
the laws of the Great Spirit, by a departure from these 
virtues, they believe will excite his anger and draw down 
punishment. These are their principles. That their prac- 
tice evinces more and more a departure from them, under 



INDIAN CUSTOMS AND DANCES. 283 

the debasiDi^ influences of a proximity to the whites, is a 
melancholy truth, which no one will admit with so much 
sorrow as those who lived among them, and esteemed 
them, before this signal change had taken place. 



One of the first improvements that suggested itself 
about our new dwelling, was the removal of some very 
unsightly pickets surrounding two or three Indian graves, 
on the esplanade in front of the house. Such, how- 
ever, is the reverence in which these burial-places are held, 
that we felt we must approach the subject with great 
delicacy and consideration. 

My husband at length ventured to propose to Mrs. 
" Pawnee Blanc," the nearest surviving relative of the 
person interred, to replace the pickets with a neat wooden 
platform. 

The idea pleased her much, for, through her intimacy in 
Paquette's family, she had acquired something of a taste 
for civilization. Accordingly, a little platform about a 
foot in height, properly finished with a moulding around 
the edge, was substituted for the worn and blackened 
pickets ; and it was touching to witness the mournful satis- 
faction with which two or three old crones would come 
regularly every evening at sunset, to sit and gossip over 
the ashes of their departed relatives. 

On the fine moonlight nights, too, there might often be 
seen a group sitting there, and enjoying what is to them a 
solemn hour, for they entertain the poetic belief that "the 
moon was made to give light to the dead." 

The reverence of the Indians for the memory of their 
departed friends, and their dutiful attention in visiting and 
making ofl'erings to the Great Spirit, over their last resting- 
places, is an example worthy of imitation among their more 



284 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

enlightened brethren. Not so, however, with some of their 
customs in relation to the dead. 

The news of the decease of one of their number is a 
signal for a general mourning and lamentation ; it is also 
in some instances, I am sorry to say, when the means 
and appliances can be found, the apology for a general 
carouse. 

The relatives weep and howl for grief — the friends and 
acquaintance bear them company through sympathy. A 
few of their number are deputed to wait upon their 
Father, to inform him of the event, and to beg some 
presents " to help them," as they express it, " dry up their 
tears." 

We received such a visit one morning, not long after 
the payment was concluded. 

A drunken little Indian, named, by the French people 
around, " Old Boilvin," from his resemblance to an Indian 
Agent of that name at Prairie du Chien, was the person 
on account of whose death the application was made. 
"He had been fishing," they said, "on the shores of one 
of the little lakes near the Portage, and, having taken a 
little too much 'whiskee,^ had fallen into the water and 
been drowned." Nothing of him had been found but his 
blanket on the bank, so there could be no funeral cere- 
monies, but his friends were prepared to make a great 
lamentation about him. 

Their Father presented them with tobacco, knives, calico, 
and looking-glasses, in proportion to what he thought 
might be their reasonable grief at the loss of such a worth- 
less vagabond, and they departed. 

There was no diflBculty, notwithstanding the stringent 
prohibitions on the subject, in procuring a keg of whiskey 
from some of the traders who yet remained. Armed 
with that and their other treasures, they assembled at an 



STORY OF THE RED FOX. 285 

appointed spot, not far from the scene of the catastrophe, 
and, sitting down with the keg in their midst, they com- 
menced their affliction. The more they drank, the more 
clamorous became their grief, and the faster flowed their 
tears. 

In the midst of these demonstrations, a little figure, bent 
and staggering, covered with mud and all in disorder, with 
a countenance full of wonder and sympathy, approached 
them, and began, — 

'' Why ? what ? what ? Who's dead ?" 

" Who's dead ?" repeated they, looking up in astonish- 
ment. " Why, you're dead ! you were drowned in Swan 
Lake ! Did not we find your blanket there ? Come, sit 
down and help us mourn." 

The old man did not wait for a second invitation. He 
took his seat and cried and drank with the rest, weeping 
and lamenting as bitterly as any of them, and the strange 
scene was continued as long as they had power to articu- 
late, or any portion of the whiskey was left. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



STORY OF THE RED FOX. 



The Indians, of whatever tribe, are exceedingly fond of 
narrating or listening to tales and stories, whether his- 
torical or fictitious. They have their professed story- 
tellers, like the Oriental nations, and these go about, from 
village to village, collecting an admiring and attentive 
audience, however oft-told and familiar the matter they 
recite. 



286 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

It is in this way that their traditions are preserved and 
handed down unimpaired from generation to generation. 
Their knowledge of the geography of their country is 
wonderfully exact. I have seen an Indian sit in his lodge, 
and draw a map, in the ashes, of the Northwestern States, 
not of their statistical but their geographical features, lakes, 
rivers, and mountains, with the greatest accuracy, giving 
their relative distances, by days' journeys, without hesita- 
tion, and even extending his drawings and explanations 
as far as Kentucky and Tennessee. 

Of biography they preserve not only the leading events 
in the life of the person, but his features, appearance, and 
bearing, his manners, and whatever little trait or peculi- 
arity characterized him. 

The women are more fond of fiction, and some of their 
stories have a strange mingling of humor and pathos. I 
give the two which follow as specimens. The Indian 
names contained in them are in the Ottawa or "■ Courte- 
Oreilles" language, but the same tales are current in 
all the different tongues and dialects. 



STORY OF THE RED FOX. 

This is an animal to which many peculiarities are at- 
tributed. He is said to resemble the jackal in his habit 
of molesting the graves of the dead, and the Indians have 
a superstitious dread of hearing his bark at night, be- 
lieving that it forebodes calamity and death. They say, 
too, that he was originally of one uniform reddish-brown 
color, but that his legs became black in the manner related 
in the story. 

There was a chief of a certain village who had a beau- 
tiful daughter. He resolved upon one occasion to make a 



STORY OF THE RED FOX. 287 

feast and iuvite all the animals. When the invitation was 
brought to the red fox, he inquired, " What are you going 
to have for supper?" 

"3Iee-dau-mee-naU'bo,^^ was the reply. (This is a por- 
ridge made of parched corn, slightly cracked.) 

The fox turned up his little sharp nose. " No, I thank 
you," said he ; " I can get plenty of that at home." 

The messenger returned to the chief, and reported the 
contemptuous refusal of the fox. 

" Go back to him," said the chief, "and tell him we are 
going to have a nice fresh body,* and we will have it 
cooked in the most delicate manner possible." 

Pleased with the prospect of such a treat, the fox gave 
a very hearty assent to the second invitation. 

The hour arrived, and he set off for the lodge of the 
chief to attend the feast. The company were all pre- 
pared for him, for they made common cause with their 
friend who had been insulted. As the fox entered, the 
guest next the door, with great courtesy, rose from his 
place, and begged the new-comer to be seated. Immedi- 
ately the person next him also rose, and insisted that the 
fox should occupy his place, as it was still nearer the fire 
— the post of honor. Then the third, with many expres- 
sions of civility, pressed him to exchange with him ; and 
thus, with many ceremonious flourishes, he was passed 
along the circle, always approaching the fire, where a huge 
cauldron stood, in which the good cheer was still cooking. 
The fox was by no means unwilling to occupy the highest 
place in the assembly, and, besides, he was anxious to take 
a peep into the kettle, for he had his suspicions that 
he might be disappointed of the delicacies he had been 
expecting. 

* The Indians, in relating a story like this, apologize for alluding to a 
revolting subject. *' You will think this unpleasant," they say. 



288 THE EARLY DAT IN THE NORTHWEST. 

So, by degrees, he was ushered nearer and nearer the 
great blazing fire, until by a dexterous push and shove he 
was hoisted into the seething kettle. 

His feet were dreadfully scalded, but he leaped out, and 
ran home to his lodge, howling and crying with pain. 
His grandmother, with whom, according to the custom of 
animals, he lived, demanded of him an account of the 
aflFair. When he had faithfully related all the circum- 
stances (for, unlike the civilized animals, he did not think 
of telling his grandmother a story), she reproved him very 
strongly. 

" You have committed two great faults," said she. " In 
the first place, you were very rude to the chief who was 
so kind as to invite you, and by returning insult for civility 
you made yourself enemies who were determined to pun- 
ish you. In the next place, it was very unbecoming in 
you to be so forward to take the place of honor. Had 
you been contented modestly to keep your seat near the 
door, you would have escaped the misfortune that has be- 
fallen you." 

All this was not very consolatory to the poor fox, who 
continued to whine and cry most piteously, while his 
grandmother, having finished her lecture, proceeded to 
bind up his wounds. Great virtue is supposed to be added 
to all medical prescriptions and applications by a little 
dancing ; so, the dressing having been applied, the grand- 
mother fell to dancing with all her might, round and round 
in the lodge. 

When she was nearly exhausted, the fox said, " Grand- 
mother, take off the bandages and see if my legs are 
healed." 

She did as he requested, but no — the burns were still 
fresh. She danced and danced again. Now and then, as 
he grew impatient, she would remove the coverings to 



STORY OF THE RED FOX. 289 

observe the effect of the remedies. At length, towards 
morning, she looked, and, to be sure, the burns were quite 
healed. " But, oh !" cried she, " your legs are as black as 
a coal ! They were so badly burned that they will never 
return to their color I" 

The poor fox, who, like many another brave, was vain 
of his legs, fell into a transport of lamentation. 

" Oh I my legs 1 My pretty red legs ! What shall I do ? 
The young girls will all despise me. I shall never dare to 
show myself among them again !" 

He cried and sobbed until his grandmother, fatigued 
with her exercise, fell asleep. By this time he had decided 
upon his plan of revenge. 

He rose and stole softly out of his lodge, and, pur- 
suing his way rapidly towards the village of the chief, 
he turned his face in the direction of the principal lodge 
and barked. When the inhabitants heard this sound in 
the stillness of the night, their hearts trembled. They 
knew that it foreboded sorrow and trouble to some one 
of their number. 

A very short time elapsed before the beautiful daughter 
of the chief fell sick, and she grew rapidly worse and worse, 
spite of medicines, charms, and dances. At length she died. 
The fox had not intended to bring misfortune on the vil- 
lage in this shape, for he loved the beautiful daughter of 
the chief, so he kept in his lodge and mourned and fretted 
for her death. 

Preparations were made for a magnificent funeral, but 
the friends of the deceased were in great perplexity. 
" If we bury her in the earth," said they, " the fox will 
come and disturb her remains. He has barked her to 
death, and he will be glad to come and finish his work of 
revenge." 

They took counsel together, and determined to hang her 



290 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

body high in a tree as a place of sepulture. They thought 
the fox would go groping about in the earth, and not lift 
up his eyes to the branches above his head. 

But the grandmother had been at the funeral, and she 
returned and told the fox all that had been done. 

"Now, my son," said she, "listen to me. Do not meddle 
with the remains of the chief's daughter. You have done 
mischief enough already. Leave her in peace." 

As soon as the grandmother was asleep at night, the 
fox rambled forth. He soon found the place he sought, 
and came and sat under the tree where the young girl had 
been placed. He gazed and gazed at her all the livelong 
night, and she appeared as beautiful as when in life. But 
when the day dawned, and the light enabled him to see 
more clearly, then he observed that decay was doing its 
work — that instead of a beautiful she presented only a 
loathsome appearance. 

He went home sad and afflicted, and passed all the day 
mourning in his lodge. 

" Have you disturbed the remains of the chief's beauti- 
ful daughter?" was his parent's anxious question. 

"No, grandmother," — and he uttered not another word. 

Thus it went on for many days and nights. The fox 
always took care to quit his watch at the early dawn of 
day, for he knew that her friends would suspect him, and 
come betimes to see if all was right- 

At length he perceived that, gradually, the young girl 
looked less and less hideous in the morning light, and 
that she by degrees resumed the appearance she had pre- 
sented in life, so that in process of time her beauty and 
look of health quite returned to her. 

One day he said, "Grandmother, give me my pipe, that 
I may take a smoke." 

"Ah I" cried she, "you begin to be comforted. You 



STORY OF THE RED FOX. 291 

have never smoked since the death of the chief's beautiful 
daughter. Have you heard some good news?" 

" Never you mind," said he ; " bring the pipe." 

He sat down and smoked, and smoked. After a time 
he said, " Grandmother, sweep your lodge and put it all in 
order, for this day you will receive a visit from your 
daughter-in-law." 

The grandmother did as she was desired. She swept 
her lodge, and arranged it with all the taste she pos- 
sessed, and then both sat down to await the visit. 

" When you hear a sound at the door," said the fox, 
"you must give the salutation, and say. Come in." 

When they had been thus seated for a time, the grand- 
mother heard a faint, rustling sound. She looked towards 
the door. To her surprise, the mat which usually hung as 
a curtain was rolled up, and the door was open. 

" Peen-tee-geen n'dau-nis!"* cried she. 

Something like a faint, faint shadow appeared to glide 
in. It took gradually a more distinct outline. As she 
looked and looked, she began to discern the form and feat- 
ures of the chief's beautiful daughter, but it was long 
before she appeared like a reality, and took her place in 
the lodge like a thing of flesh and blood. 

They kept the matter hid very close, for they would 
not for the world that the father or friends of the bride 
should know what had happened. Soon, however, it began 
to be rumored about that the chief's beautiful daughter 
had returned to life, and was living in the Red Fox's 
lodge. How it ever became known was a mystery, for, 
of course, the grandmother never spoke of it. 

Be that as it may, the news created great excitement in 
the village. " This must never be," said they all. " He 

* Come in, my daughter. 



292 THE EARLY DAT IN THE NORTHWEST. 

barked her to death once, and who knows what he may 
do next time ?" 

The father took at once a decided part. " The Red Fox 
is not worthy of my daughter," he said. " I had promised 
her to the Hart, the finest and most elegant among the 
animals. Now that she has returned to life, I shall keep 
my word." 

So the friends all went in a body to the lodge of the 
Red Fox. The bridegroom, the bride, and the grand- 
mother made all the resistance possible, but they were 
overpowered by numbers, and, the Hart having remained 
conveniently waiting on the outside where there was no 
danger, the beautiful daughter of the chief was placed 
upon his back, and he coursed away through the forest to 
carry her to his own home. When he arrived at the door 
of his lodge, however, he turned his head, but no bride 
was in the place where he expected to see her. He had 
thought his burden very light from the beginning, but that 
he supposed was natural to spirits returned from the dead. 
He never imagined she had at the outset glided from her 
seat, and in the midst of the tumult slipped back, unob- 
served, to her chosen husband. 

One or two attempts were made by the friends, after 
this, to repossess themselves of the young creature, but 
all without success. Then they said, " Let her remain 
where she is. It is true the Red Fox occasioned her 
death, but by his watchfulness and care he caressed her 
into life again; therefore she rightfully belongs to him." 
So the Red Fox and his beautiful bride lived long together 
in great peace and happiness. 



STORY OF SHEE-SHEE-BANZE. 293 



CHAPTER XXX. 

STORY OF SHEE-SHEE-BANZE. 

There was a young man named Shee-shee-banze (the 
Little Duck) paddling his canoe along the shore of the 
lake. 

Two girls came down to the edge of the water, and, see- 
ing him, the elder said to the younger, "Let us call to 
him to take us a sail." 

It must be remarked that in all Indian stories where two 
or more sisters are the dramatis person ae, the elder is in- 
variably represented as silly, ridiculous, and disgusting — 
the younger, as wise and beautiful. 

In the present case the younger remonstrated. "Oh, 
no," said she, " let us not do such a thing. What will he 
think of us ?" 

But the other persevered, and called to him, " Ho ! come 
and take us into your canoe." The young man obeyed, 
and, approaching the shore, he took them with him into 
the canoe. 

" Who are you ?" asked the elder sister. 

"I am Way-gee-mar-kin,^^ replied he, "the great 
chief." 

This Way-gee-mar-kin was something of a fairy, for 
when surrounded by his followers, and wishing to confer 
favors on them, he had a habit of coughing slightly, when 
there would fly forth from his mouth quantities of silver 
brooches, ear-bobs, and other ornaments, for which it was 
the custom of his people to scramble, each striving, as in 
more civilized life, to get more than his share. 

25* 



294 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Accordingly, the elder sister said, " If you are Way-gee- 
mar-kin, let us see you cough." 

Shee-shee-banze had a few of these silver ornaments 
which he had got by scrambling, and which he kept stowed 
away in the sides of his mouth in case of emergency. So 
he gave some spasmodic coughs and brought forth a few, 
which the girl eagerly seized. 

After a time, as they paddled along, a fine noble elk 
came forth from the forest, and approached the water to 
drink. 

"What is that?" asked the spokeswoman; for the 
younger sister sat silent and modest all the time. 

" It is my dog that I hunt with." 

" Call him to us, that I may see him." 

Shee-shee-banze called, but the elk turned and fled into 
the woods. 

" He does not seem to obey you, however." 

" No ; it is because you inspire him with disgust, and 
therefore he flies from you." 

Soon a bear made his appearance by the water's edge. 

"What is that?" 

" One of my servants." 

Again he was requested to call him, and, as the call was 
disregarded, the same reason as before was assigned. 

Their excursion was at length ended. There had been 
a little magic in it, for although the young girls had sup- 
posed themselves to be in a canoe, there was, in reality, 
no canoe at all. They only imagined it to have been so. 

Now, Shee-shee-banze lived with his grandmother, and 
to her lodge he conducted his young friends. 

They stood outside while he went in. 

" Grandmother," said he, " I have brought you two 
young girls, who will be your daughters-in-law. Invite 
them into your lodge." 



STORY OF SHEE-SHEE-BANZE. 295 

Upon this, the old woman called, " Ho! come in," and 
they entered. They were made welcome and treated to 
the best of everything. 

In the mean time, the real Way-gee-mar-kin, the great 
chief, made preparations for a grand feast. When he was 
sending his messenger out with the invitations, he said to 
him, " Be very particular to bid Shee-shee-banze to the 
feast, for, as he is the smallest and meanest person in the 
tribe, you must use double ceremony with him, or he will 
be apt to think himself slighted." 

Shee-shee-banze was sitting in his lodge with his new 
friends, when the messenger arrived. 

" Ho! Shee-shee-banze," cried he, "you are invited to a 
great feast that Way-gee-mar-kin is to give to-night, to all 
his subjects." 

But Shee-shee-banze took no notice of the invitation. 
He only whistled, and pretended not to hear. The mes- 
senger repeated his words, then, finding that no attention 
was paid to them, he went his way. 

The young girls looked at each other, during the scene, 
greatly astonished. At length the elder spoke. 

" What does this mean ?" said she. " Why does he call 
you Shee-shee-banze, and invite you to visit Way-gee- 
mar-kin ?" 

" Oh," said Shee-shee-banze, " it is one of my followers 
that always likes to be a little impudent. I am obliged to 
put up with it sometimes, but you observed that I treated 
him with silent contempt." 

The messenger returned to the chief, and reported the 
manner in which the invitation had been received. 

" Oh," said the good-natured chief, " it is because he 
feels that he is poor and insignificant. Go back again 
— call him by my name, and make a flourishing speech 
to him." 



296 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

The messenger fulfilled his mission as he was bid. 

" Way-gee-mar-kin," said he, pompously, " a great feast 
is to be given to-night, and I am sent most respectfully to 
solicit the honor of your company!" 

"Did 1 not tell you?" said Shee-shee-banze to the 
maidens. Then, nodding with careless condescension, he 
added, '' Tell them I'll come." 

At night, Shee-shee-banze dressed himself in his very 
best paint, feathers, and ornaments — but before his de- 
parture he took his grandmother aside. 

"Be sure," said he, "that you watch these young people 
closely until I come back. Shut up your lodge tight, tiglit. 
Let no one come in or go out, and, above all things, do not 
go to sleep." 

These orders given, he went his way. 

The grandmother tried her best to keep awake, but find- 
ing herself growing more and more sleepy, as the night 
wore on, she took a strong cord and laced across the mat 
which hung before the entrance to the lodge, as the 
Indians lace up the mouths of their bags, then, having seen 
all things secure and the girls quiet in bed, she lay down 
and soon fell into a comfortable sleep. 

The young girls, in the mean while, w^re dying with 
curiosity to know what had become of Shee-shee-banze, 
and as soon as they were sure the old lady was asleep, 
they prepared to follow him and see what was going on. 
Fearing, however, that the grandmother might awake and 
discover their absence, they took two logs of wood, and, 
putting them under the blanket, so disposed them as to 
present the appearance of persons sleeping quietly. They 
then cut the cords that fastened the door, and, guided 
by the sounds of the music, the dancing, and the merry- 
making, they soon found their way to the dwelling of 
Way-gee-mar-kiu. 



STORY OF SHEE-SHEE-BANZE. 297 

When they entered, they saw the chief seated on a 
throne, surrounded by light and splendor. Everything 
was joy and amusement. Crowds of courtiers were in 
the apartment, all dressed in the most brilliant array. The 
strangers looked around for their friend Shee-shee-banze, 
but he was nowhere to be seen. 

Now and then the chief would cough, when a shower 
of silver ornaments and precious things would fly in all 
directions, and instantly a scramble would commence 
among the company, to gather them up and appropriate 
them. 

As they thus rushed forward, the brides-elect saw their 
poor little friend crowded up into a corner, where no- 
body took any notice of him, except to push him aside, 
or step on him whenever he was in the way. He uttered 
piteous little squeaks as one and another would thus mal- 
treat him, but he was too busy taking care of himself to 
perceive that those whom he had left snug at home in the 
lodge were witnesses of all that was going on. 

At length the signal was given for the company to 
retire, all but the two young damsels, upon whom Way- 
gee-mar-kin had set his eye, and to whom he had sent, by 
one of his assistants, great offers to induce them to remain 
with him and become his wives. 

Poor Shee-shee-banze returned to his lodge, but what 
was his consternation to find the door open 1 

"Hoi grandmother," cried he, "is this the way you 
keep watch ?" 

The old woman started up. " There are my daughters- 
in-law," said she, pointing to the two logs of wood. Shee- 
shee-banze threw himself on the ground between them. 
His back was broken by coming so violently in contact 
with them, but that he did not mind — he thought only of 
revenge, and the recovery of his sweethearts. 



298 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

He waited but to get some powerful poison and prepare 
it, and then lie stole softly back to the wigwam of Way- 
gee-mar-kin. All was silent, and he crept in without 
making the slightest noise. There lay the chief, with a 
young girl on each side of him. 

They were all sound asleep, the chief lying on his back, 
with his mouth wide open. Before he was aware of it, 
the poison was down his throat, and Shee-shee-banze had 
retreated quietly to his own lodge. 

The next morning the cry went through the village that 
Way-gee-mar-kin had been found dead in his bed. Of 
course it was attributed to over-indulgence at the feast. 
All was grief and lamentation. '' Let us go and tell poor 
Shee-shee-banze," said one, " he was so fond of Way-gee- 
mar-kin." 

They found him sitting on a bank, fishing. He had been 
up at peep of day, to make preparation for receiving the 
intelligence. 

He had caught two or three fish, and, extracting their 
bladders, had filled them with blood, and tied them under 
his arm. When the friends of Way-gee-mar-kin saw him, 
they called out to him, — 

" Oh ! Shee-shee-banze — your friend, Way-gee-mar-kin, 
is dead !" 

With a gesture of despair, Shee-shee-banze drew his 
knife and plunged it — not into his heart, but into the 
bladders filled with blood that he had prepared. As he 
fell, apparently lifeless, to the ground, the messengers 
began to reproach themselves : " Oh ! why did we tell him 
so suddenly ? We might have known he would not sur- 
vive it. Poor Shee-shee-banze ! he loved Way-gee-mar- 
kin so." 

To their great surprise, the day after the funeral, Shee- 
shee-banze came walking towards the wigwam of the dead 



STORY OF SHFE-SHEE BAN^ZE. 299 

chief. As he walked, he sang, or rather chaunted to a 
monotonous strain,* the following: — 

" Way-gee-mar-kin is dead, is dead, 
I know who killed him. 
I guess it was I — I guess it was I." 

All the village was aroused. Everybody flew in pur- 
suit of the murderer, but he evaded them, and escaped to 
a place of safety. 

Soon after, he again made his appearance, mincing as 
he walked, and singing to the same strain as before, — 

" If you wish to take and punish me, 
Let the widows come and catch me." 

It seemed a good idea, and the young women were 
recommended to go and entice the culprit into the village, 
so that the friends of the deceased could lay hold of him. 

They went forth on their errand. Shee-shee-banze would 
Rutfer them to approach, then he would dance off a little — 
now he would allow them to come quite near ; anon he 
would retreat a little before them, all the time singing, 

" Come, pretty widows, come and catch me." 

Thus he decoyed them on, occasionally using honeyed 
words and flattering speeches, until he had gained their 
. consent to return with him to his lodge, and take up their 
abode with him. 

The friends of the murdered chief were scandalized at 
such inconstancy, and resolved to punish all three, as soon 
as they could catch them. 

They surrounded his lodge with cries and threatenings, 
but Shee-shee-banze and his two brides had contrived to 



The Indians sing these words to an air peculiar to themselves. 



300 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

elude their vigilance and gain his canoe, which lay in the 
river, close at hand. 

Hardly were they on board when their escape was dis- 
covered. The whole troop flew after them. Some plunged 
into the stream, and seized the canoe. In the struggle it 
was upset, but immediately on touching the water, whether 
from the magical properties of the canoe, or the necro- 
mantic skill of the grandmother, they were transformed 
into ducks, and flew quacking away. 

Since that time the water-fowl of this species are 
always found in companies of three — two females and a 
male. 

The Canard de France, or Mallard, and the Brancheuse, 
or Wood Duck, are of different habits from the foregoing, 
flying in pairs. Indeed, the constancy of the latter is said 
to be so great that if he loses his mate he never takes 
another partner, but goes mourning to the end of his 
days. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

A VISIT TO GREEN BAY — MA-ZHEE-GAW-GAW SWAMP. 

The payment over, and the Indians dispersed, we pre- 
pared ourselves to settle down quietly in our little home. 
But now a new source of disturbance arose. 

My husband's accounts of disbursements as Agent of 
the Winnebagoes, which he had forwarded to the Depart- 
ment at Washington, had failed to reach there, of which 
he received due notice — that is to say, such a notice as 



VISIT TO GREEN BAT. 



301 



could reach us by the circuitous and uncertain mode of 
conveyance by which intercourse with the Eastern world 
was then kept up. If the vouchers for the former ex- 
penditures, together with the recent payment of $15,000 
annuity money, should not be forthcoming, it m>gbt P'ace 
him in a very awkward position ; he therefore deeded to 
go at once to Washington, and be the bearer himself of 
bis duplicate accounts. , .u » 

■■ Should you like to go and see your father and mothei 
said he to me, one morning, "and show them how the 
West agrees with you ?" 

It was a most joyful suggestion after a year's separa- 
tion, and in a few days all things were in readiness for our 

'^^There'^was visiting us, at that time, Miss Brush, of 
Detroit, who had come from Green Bay with Mr. and 
Mrs Whitney and Miss Frances Henshaw, on an excur- 
sion to the Mississippi. Our little India-rubber house had 
contrived to expand itself for the accommodation of the 
whole party during the very pleasant visit they made us. 
The arrival of two young ladies had been, as may be 
imagined, quite a godsend to the unmarried lieutenants, 
and when, tired of the journey, or intimidated by the snow 
which fell eight inches on the 4th of October, Miss Brush 
determined to give up the remainder of her excursion and 
accept our pressing invitation to remain with us until the 
return of her friends, we were looked upon as public bene- 
factors. She was now to accompany us to Green Bay, 

and possibly to Detroit. , ■ a ^ .„A 

Our voyage down the river was without incident, and 
we reached Green Bay just as all the place was astir in 
the expectation of the arrival of one of Mr. Newbery s 
schooners. This important event was the subject of in- 
terest to the whole community, from Fort Howard to 



302 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST, 

" Dickenson's." To some its arrival would bring friends, 
to some supplies — to the ladies, the fashions, to the gen- 
tlemen, the news, for it was the happy bearer of the mails, 
not for that place alone, but for all the " upper country." 

In a few days the vessel arrived. She brought a mail 
for Fort Winnebago, it being only in the winter season that 
letters were carried by land to that place, via Niles^s Settle- 
ment and Chicago. 

In virtue of his office as Postmaster, my husband opened 
the mail-bag, and took possession of his own letters. One 
informed him of the satisfactory appearance at the Depart- 
ment of the missing accounts, but oh 1 sad disappointment, 
another brought the news that my parents had gone to 
Kentucky for the winter — not to any city or accessible 
place, but " up the Sandy," and over among the mountains 
of Virginia, hunting up old land-claims belonging to my 
grandfather's estate. 

It was vain to hope to follow them. We might hardly 
expect to find them during the short period we could be 
absent from home — not even were we to receive the lucid 
directions once given my father by an old settler during 
his explorations through that wild region. 

"You must go up Tug,^^ said the man, "and down 
Troublesome, and fall over on to Kingdom-come.''^* 

We did not think it advisable to undertake such an ex- 
pedition, and therefore made up our minds to retrace our 
steps to Fort Winnebago. 

No boats were in readiness to ascend the river. Our 
old friend Hamilton promised to have one in preparation 
at once, but time passed by, and no boat was made ready. 

It was now the beginning of November. We were 
passing our time very pleasantly with the Irwins and 

* Three streams or water-courses of that region. 



VISIT TO GREEN BAY. 303 

Whitneys, and at the residence of Colonel Stambaugb, 
the Indian Agent, but still this delay was inconvenient 
and vexatious. 

I suggested undertaking the journey on horseback. 
" No, indeed," was the answer I invariably received. 
" No mortal woman has ever gone that road, unless it 
was some native on foot, nor ever could." 

"But suppose we set out in the boat and get frozen in 
on the way. We can neither pass the winter there, nor 
possibly find our way to a human habitation. We have 
had one similar experience already. Is it not better to 
take it for granted that I can do what you and others of 
your sex have done ?" 

Dr. Finley, the post-surgeon at Fort Howard, on hear- 
ing the matter debated, offered me immediately his favorite 
horse Charlie. "He is very sure-footed," the doctor al- 
leged, "and capital in a marsh or troublesome stream." 

By land, then, it was decided to go ; and as soon as 
our old Menoraonee friend " Wish-tay-yun," who was as 
good a guide by land as by water, could be summoned, we 
set off, leaving our trunks to be forwarded by Hamilton 
whenever it should please him to carry out his intention 
of sending up his boat. 

We waited until a late hour on the morning of our de- 
parture for our fellow-travellers, Mr. Wing, of Monroe, 
and Dr. Philleo, of Galena; but, finding they did not join 
us, we resolved to lose no time, confident that we should 
all meet at the Kakalin in the course of the evening. 

After crossing the river at what is now Depere, and 
entering the wild, unsettled country on the west of the 
river, we found a succession of wooded hills, separated by 
ravines so narrow and steep that it seemed impossible that 
any animals but mules or goats could make their way 
among them. 



304 THE EARLY DAY TN THE NORTHWEST. 

Wish-tay-yun took the lead. The horse he rode was 
accustomed to the country, and well trained to this style 
of road. As for Charlie, he was perfectly admirable. 
When he came to a precipitous descent, he would set for- 
ward his forefeet, and slide down on his haunches in the 
most scientific manner, while my only mode of preserving 
my balance was to hold fast by the bridle and lay myself 
braced almost flat against his back. Then our position 
would suddenly change, and we would be scaling the 
opposite bank, at the imminent risk of falling backward 
into the ravine below. 

It was amusing to see Wish-tay-yun, as he scrambled 
on ahead, now and then turning partly round to see how 
I fared. And when, panting and laughing, I at length 
reached the summit, he would throw up his hands, and 
shout, with the utmost glee, "Mamma Manitou!" (My 
mother is a spirit.) 

Our old acquaintances, the Grignons, seemed much sur- 
prised that I should have ventured on such a journey. 
They had never undertaken it, although they had lived so 
long at the Kakalin ; but then there was no reason why 
they should have done so. They could always command 
a canoe or a boat when they wished to visit " the Bay." 

As we had anticipated, our gentlemen joined us at 
supper. " They had delayed to take dinner with Colonel 
Stambaugh — had had a delightful gallop up from the Bay 
— had seen no ravines, nor anything but fine smooth 
roads — might have been asleep, but, if so, were not con- 
scious of it." This was the account they gave of them- 
selves, to our no small amusement. 

From the Kakalin to the Butte des Morts, where lived 
a man named Knaggs, was our next day's stage. The 
country was rough and wild, much like that we had 
passed through the spring before, in going from Hamil- 



VISIT TO GREEN BAY. 305 

ton's diggings to Kellogg's Grove, but we were fortunate 
in having Wish-tay-yun, rather than " Uncle Billy," for 
our guide, so that we could make our way with some de- 
gree of moderation. 

We had travelled but forty miles when we reached 
Knaggs's, yet I was both cold and fatigued, so that the 
cosy little room in which we found Mrs. Knaggs, and 
the bright fire, were most cheering objects; and, as we 
had only broken our fast since morning with a few crackers 
we carried in our pockets, I must own we did ample jus- 
tice to her nice coffee and cakes, not to mention venison- 
steaks and bear's meat, the latter of which I had never 
before tasted. 

Our supper over, we looked about for a place of repose. 
The room in which we had taken our meal was of small 
dimensions, just sufficient to accommodate a bed, a table 
placed against the wall, and the few chairs on which we 
sat. There was no room for any kind of a '' shake- 
down." 

"Where can you put us for the night?" inquired my 
husband of Mr. Knaggs, when he made his appearance. 

"Why, there is no place that I know of, unless you can 
camp down in the old building outside." 

We went to look at it. It consisted of one room, bare 
and dirty. A huge chimney, in which a few brands were 
burning, occupied nearly one side of the apartment. 
Against another was built a rickety sort of bunk. This 
was the only vestige of furniture to be seen. The floor 
was thickly covered with mud and dirt, in the midst of 
which, near the fire, was seated an old Indian with a pan 
of boiled corn on his lap, which he was scooping up with 
both hands and devouring with the utmost voracity. 

We soon discovered that he was blind. On hearing 
footsteps and voices, he instinctively gathered his dish of 

26* 



306 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST, 

food close to him, and began some morose grumblings ; 
but when he was told that it was " Shaw-nee-aw-kee" who 
was addressing him, his features relaxed into a more agree- 
able expression, and he even held forth his dish and invited 
us to share its contents. 

**But are we to stay here?" I asked. "Can we not 
sleep out-of-doors ?" 

" We have no tent," replied my husband, " and the 
weather is too cold to risk the exposure without one.'- 

" I could sit in a chair all night, by the fire." 

" Then you would not be able to ride to Bellefontaine 
to-morrow." 

There was no alternative. The only thing Mr. Knaggs 
could furnish in the shape of bedding was a small bear- 
skin. The bunk was a trifle less filthy than the floor; so 
upon its boards we spread first the skin, then our saddle- 
blankets, and, with a pair of saddle-bags for a bolster, I 
wrapped myself in my cloak, and resigned myself to my 
distasteful accommodations. 

The change of position from that I had occupied through 
the day, probably brought some rest, but sleep I could not. 
Even on a softer and more agreeable couch, the snoring of 
the old Indian and two or three companions who had 
joined him, and his frequent querulous exclamations as he 
felt himself encroached upon in the darkness, would have 
effectually banished slumber from my eyes. 

It was a relief to rise with early morning and prepare 
for the journey of the day. Where our fellow-travellers 
had bestowed themselves I knew not, but they evidently 
had fared no better than we. They were in fine spirits, 
however, and we cheerfully took our breakfast and were 
ferried over the river to continue on the trail from that 
point to Bellefontaine, twelve miles distant from Fort 
Winnebago. 



ma-zhejE-gaw-oaw swamp. 307 

The great " bug-bear" of this road, Ma-zhee-gaw-gaw 
Swamp, was the next thing to be encountered. We 
reached it about nine o'clock. It spread before us, a vast 
expanse of morass, about half a mile in width, and of 
length interminable, partly covered with water, with black 
knobs rising here and there above the surface, affording a 
precarious foothold for the animals in crossing it. Where 
the water was not, there lay in place of it a bed of black 
oozy mud, which looked as if it might give way under 
the foot, and let it, at each step, sink to an unknown 
depth. 

This we were now to traverse. All three of the gentle- 
men went in advance of me, each hoping, as he said, to 
select the surest and firmest path for me to follow. One 
and another would call, " Here, madam, come this way I" 
" This is the best path, wifie ; follow me," but often 
Charlie knew better than either, and selected a path accord- 
ing to his own judgment, which proved the best of the 
whole. 

On he went, picking his way so slowly and cautiously, 
now pausing on one little hillock, now on another, and 
anon turning aside to avoid a patch of mud which seemed 
more than usually suspicious, that all the company had 
got some little distance ahead of me. On raising my eyes, 
which had been kept pretty closely on my horse's footsteps, 
I saw my husband on foot, striving to lead his horse by 
the bridle from a difficult position into which he had got, 
Mr. Wing and his great white floundering animal lying 
sideways in the mud, the rider using all his efforts to ex- 
tricate himself from the stirrups, and Dr. Philleo standing 
at a little distance from his steed, who was doing his best 
to rise up from a deep bog into which he had pitched him- 
self. It was a formidable sight 1 They all called out 
with one accord, — 



308 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

" Oh, do not come this way I'* 

" Indeed," cried I, '' I have no thought of it. Charlie 
and I know better." And, trusting to the sagacious crea- 
ture, he picked his way carefully along, and carried me 
safely past the dismounted company. I could not refrain 
from a little triumphant flourish with my whip, as I looked 
back upon them and watched their progress to their 
saddles once more. 

Three hours had we been thus unpleasantly engaged, 
and yet we were not over the " Slough of Despond." At 
length we drew near its farthest verge. Here ran a deep 
stream some five or six feet in width. The gentlemen, as 
they reached it, dismounted, and began debating what 
was to be done. 

" Jump off, jump off, madam," cried Mr. Wing, and 
''Jump off, jump off," echoed Dr. Philleo ; " we are just 
consulting how we are to get you across." 

" What do you think about it ?" asked my husband. 

"Charlie will show you," replied I. "Come, Charlie." 
And as I raised his bridle quickly, with a pat on his 
neck and an encouraging chirp, he bounded over the 
stream as lightly as a deer, and landed me safe on terra 
firma. 

Poor Mr. Wing had fared the worst of the company ; 
the clumsy animal he rode seeming to be of opinion when 
he got into a difficulty that he had nothing to do but to lie 
down and resign himself to his fate ; while his rider, not 
being particularly light and agile, was generally under- 
most, and half imbedded in the mire before he had quite 
made up his mind as to his course of action. 

It was therefore a wise movement in him, when he 
reached the little stream, to plunge into it and wade across, 
thus washing out, as much as possible, the traces of the 
morning's adventures from himself and his steed ; and the 



}fA-ZnEEJ-GAW-GAW SWAMP. 309 

Other gentlemen, having no alternative, concluded to 
follow his example. 

We did not halt long on the rising ground beyond the 
morass, for we had a long stretch before us to Bellefon- 
taine, forty-five miles, and those none of the shortest. 

Our horses travelled admirably the whole afternoon, 
Charlie keeping a canter all the way ; but it was growing 
dark, and there were no signs of the landmarks which 
were to indicate our near approach to the desired haven. 

" Can we not stop and rest for a few moments under 
one of the trees ?" inquired I, for I was almost exhausted 
with fatigue, and, to add to our discomfort, a cold, Novem- 
ber rain was pouring upon us. 

"If it were possible, we would," was the reply; "but 
see how dark it is growing. If we should lose our way, 
it would be worse than being wet and tired." 

So we kept on. Just at dark we crossed a clear stream. 
"That," said my husband, "is, I think, two miles from 
Bellefontaine. Cheer up — we shall soon be there." Quite 
encouraged, we pursued our way more cheerfully. Mile 
after mile we passed, but still no light gleamed friendly 
through the trees. 

" We have certainly travelled more than six miles now," 
said I. 

" Yes — that could not have been the two-mile creek." 

It was eight o'clock when we reached Bellefontaine. 
We were ushered into a large room made cheerful by a 
huge blazing fire. Mr. Wing and Dr. Philleo had arrived 
before us, and there were other travellers, on their way 
from the Mississippi. I was received with great kindness 
and volubility by the immense hostess, " la grosse Ame- 
ricaine," as she was called, and she soon installed me in 
the arm-chair, in the warmest corner, and in due time set 
an excellent supper before us. 



310 "THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

But her hospitality did not extend to giving up her only- 
bed for my accommodation. She spread all the things 
she could muster on the hard floor before the fire, and did 
what she could to make me comfortable ; then, observing 
my husband's solicitude lest I might feel ill from the effects 
of the fatigue and rain, she remarked, in tones of admiring 
sympathy, " How kind your companion is to you !" — an 
expression which, as it was then new to us, amused us not 
a little. 

Our travelling companions started early in the morning 
for the Fort, which was but twelve miles distant, and they 
were so kind as to take charge of a note to our friends at 
home, requesting them to send Plante with the carriage to 
take us the rest of the distance. 

We reached the Portage in safety ; and thus ended the 
first journey by land that any white woman had made from 
Green Bay to Fort Winnebago. I felt not a little raised 
in my own esteem when my husband informed me that the 
distance I had the previous day travelled, from Knaggs's 
to Bellefontaine, was sixty-two miles I 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

COMMENCEMENT OF THE SAUK WAR. 

A FEW weeks after our return, my husband took his 
mother to Prairie du Chien for the benefit of medical ad- 
vice from Dr. Beaumont, of the U. S. Army. The journey 
was made in a large open boat down the Wisconsin River, 
and it was proposed to take this opportunity to bring back 
a good supply of corn for the winter's use of both men and 
cattle. 



COMMENCEMENT OF THE SAUK WAR. 311 

The ice formed in the river, however, so early, that 
after starting with his load he was obliged to return with 
it to the Prairie, and wait until the thick winter's ice en- 
abled him to make a second journey and bring it up in 
sleighs — with so great an expense of time, labor, and ex- 
posure were the necessaries of life conveyed from one 
point to another through that wild and desolate region I 



The arrival of my brother Arthur from Kentucky, by 
way of the Mississippi, in the latter part of April, brought 
us the uncomfortable intelligence of new troubles with the 
Sauks and Foxes. Black Hawk had, with the flower of 
his nation, recrossed the Mississippi, once more to take 
possession of their old homes and corn-fields.* 

It was not long before our own Indians came flocking 
in, to confirm the tidings, and to assure us of their inten- 
tion to remain faithful friends to the Americans. We 
soon heard of the arrival of the Illinois Rangers in the 
Rock River country, also of the progress of the regular 
force under General Atkinson, in pursuit of the hostile 
Indians, who, by the reports, were always able to elude 
their vigilance. It not being their custom to stop and 
give battle, the Sauks soon scattered themselves through 
the country, trusting to some lucky accident (and such 
arrived, alas! only too often) to enable them to fall upon 
their enemies unexpectedly. 

The experience of the pursuing army was, for the most 
part, to make their way, by toilsome and fatiguing marches, 
to the spot where they imagined the Sauks would be wait- 
ing to receive them, and then to discover that the rogues 
had scampered off to quite a different part of the country. 

* See Appendix. 



312 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Wherever these latter went, their course was marked 
by the most atrocious barbarities, though the worst had 
not, at this time, reached our ears. We were only as- 
sured that they were down in the neighborhood of the 
Rock River and Kishwaukee, and that they lost no op- 
portunity of falling upon the defenceless inhabitants and 
cruelly murdering them. 

As soon as it became certain that the Sauks and Foxes 
would not pursue the same course they had on the pre- 
vious year, that is, retreat peaceably across the Mississippi, 
Mr. Kinzie resolved to hold a council with all the principal 
chiefs of the Winnebagoes who were accessible at this 
time. He knew that the Sauks would use every effort to 
induce their neighbors to join them, and that there ex- 
isted in the breasts of too many of the young savages a 
desire to distinguish themselves by " taking some white 
scalps." They did not love the Americans — why should 
they? By them they had been gradually dispossessed of 
the broad and beautiful domains of their forefathers, and 
hunted from place to place, and the only equivalent they 
had received in exchange had been a few thousands an- 
nually in silver and presents, together with the pernicious 
example, the debasing influence, and the positive ill treat- 
ment of too many of the new settlers upon their lands. 

With all these facts in view, therefore, their Father felt 
that the utmost watchfulness was necessary, and that the 
strongest arguments must be brought forward, to preserve 
the young men of the Winnebagoes in their allegiance to 
the Americans. Of the older members he felt quite sure. 
About fifty lodges had come at the commencement of the 
disturbances and encamped around our dwelling, say- 
ing that if the Sauks attacked us it must be after killing 
them ; and, knowing them well, we had perfect confidence 
in their assurances. 



COMMENCEMENT OF THE SAUK WAR 313 

But their vicinity, while it gave us a feeling of pro- 
tection, likewise furnished us with a channel of the most 
exciting and agitating daily communications. As the 
theatre of operations approached nearer and nearer, intel- 
ligence was brought in by their runners — now, that " Cap- 
tain Harney's head had been recognized in the Sauk camp, 
where it had been brought the day previous," next, that 
"the Sauks were carrying Lieutenant Beall's head on a 
pole in front of them as they marched to meet the whites." 
Sometimes it. was a story which we afterwards found to 
be unhappily true, as that of the murder of their Agent, 
M. St. Vrain, at Kellogg's Grove, by the Sauks them- 
selves, who ought to have protected him. 

It was after the news of this last occurrence that the 
appointed council with the Winnebagoes was to be held 
at the Four Lakes, thirty-five miles distant from Fort 
Winnebago. 

In vain we pleaded and remonstrated against such an 
exposure. " It was his duty to assemble his people and talk 
to them," my husband said, " and he must run the risk, if 
there were any. He had perfect confidence in the Winne- 
bagoes. The enemy, by all he could learn, were now far 
distant from the Four Lakes — probably at Kosh-ko-nong. 
He would set off early in the morning with Paquette, 
hold his council, and return to us the same evening." 

It were useless to attempt to describe our feelings during 
that long and dreary day. When night arrived, the cry 
of a drunken Indian, or even the barking of a dog, would 
fill our hearts with terror. 

As we sat, at a late hour, at the open window, listening 
to every sound, with what joy did we at length distinguish 
the tramp of horses I We knew it to be GriflBn and Jerry 
ascending the hill, and a cheerful shout soon announced 
that all was well. My husband and his interpreter had 

27 



314 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

ridden seventy miles that day, besides holding a long 
" talk" with the Indians. 

The Winnebagoes in council had promised to use their 
utmost endeavors to preserve peace and good order among 
their young men. They informed their Father that the 
bands on the Rock River, with the exception of Wiu-no- 
sheek's, were all determined to remain friendly and keep 
aloof from the Sauks. To that end, they were abandon- 
ing their villages and corn-fields and moving north, that 
their Great Father, the President, might not feel dis- 
satisfied with them. With regard to Win-no-sheek and 
his people, they professed themselves unable to answer. 

Time went on, and brought with it stories of fresh out- 
rages. Among these were the murders of Auberry, Green, 
and Force, at Blue Mound, and the attack on Apple Fort. 
The tidings of the latter were brought by old Crely,* the 
father of Mrs. Paquette, who rode express from Galena, 
and who averred that he once passed a bush behind which 
the Sauks were hiding, but that his horse smelt the sweet- 
scented grass with which they always adorn their persons 
when on a war-party, and set out on such a gallop that he 
never stopped until he arrived at the Portage. 

Another bearer of news was a young gentleman named 
Follett, whose eyes had become so protruded and set 
from keeping an anxious look-out for the enemy, that it 
was many days after his arrival at a place of safety before 
they resumed their accustomed limits and expression. 

Among other rumors which at this time reached us, was 
one that an attack upon Fort Winnebago was in contempla- 
tion among the Sauks. That this was in no state of defence 



* As " the venerable Joseph Crely" has become historic from his claim 
to have reached the age of one hundred and thirty-nine years, I will state 
that at this period (1832) he was a hale, hearty man of sixty years or less. 



COMMENCEMENT OF THE SAUK WAR. 315 

the Indians very well knew. All the effective men had 
been withdrawn, upon a requisition from General Atkinson, 
to join him at his newly-built fort at Kosh-ko-nong. 

Fort Winnebago was not picketed in; there were no 
defences to the barracks or ofi&cers' quarters, except slight 
panelled doors and Venetian blinds — nothing that would 
long resist the blows of clubs or hatchets. There was no 
artillery, and the Commissary's store was without the 
bounds of the Fort, under the hill. 

Mr. Kinzie had, from the first, called the attention of the 
officers to the insecurity of their position in case of danger, 
but he generally received a scoffing answer. 

" Never fear," they would say ; " the Sauks are not 
coming here to attack us." 

One afternoon we were over on a visit to some ladies 
in the garrison, and, several officers being present, the 
conversation, as usual, turned upon the present position 
of affairs. 

"Do you not think it wiser," inquired I of a blustering 
young officer, " to be prepared against possible danger ?" 

" Not against these fellows," replied he, contemptuously. 
" I do not think I would even take the trouble to fasten 
the blinds to my quarters." 

"At least," said I, " if you some night find a tomahawk 
raised to cleave your skull, you will have the consolation 
of remembering that you have not been one of those fool- 
ish fellows who keep on the safe side." 

He seemed a little nettled at this, and still more so 
when sister Margaret observed, — 

" For my part, I am of Governor Cass's opinion. He 
was at Chicago during the Winnebago war. We were 
all preparing to move into the fort on the first alarm. 
Some were for being brave and delaying, like our friends 
here. ' Come, come,' said the Governor, * hurry into the 



316 THE EARLY DAT IN THE NORTHWEST. 

fort as fast as possible — there is no merit in being brave 
with the Indians. It is the height of folly to stay and 
meet danger which you may by prudence avoid.'" 

In a few days our friends waked up to the conviction 
that something must be done at once. The first step was 
to forbid any Winnebago coming within the garrison, lest 
they should find out what they had known as well as our- 
selves for three months past — namely, the feebleness of the 
means of resistance. The next was to send fatigue-parties 
into the woods, under the protection of a guard, to cut 
pickets for inclosing the garrison. 

There was every reason to believe that the enemy were 
not very far distant, and that their object in coming north 
was to break a way into the Chippewa country, where they 
would find a place of security among their friends and 
allies. The story that our Indian runners brought in most 
frequently was, that the Sauks were determined to fall 
upon the whites at the Portage and Fort, and massacre 
all, except the families of the Agent and Interpreter. 

Plante and Pillon with their families had departed at 
the first word of danger. There only remained with us 
Manaigre, whose wife was a half-Winnebago, Isidore 
Morrin, and the blacksmiths from Sugar Creek — Mata 
and Turcotte. 

At night we were all regularly armed and our posts 
assigned us. After every means had been taken to make 
the house secure, the orders were given. Sister Margaret 
and I, in case of attack, were to mount with the children 
to the rooms above, while my husband and his men were 
to make good their defence as long as possible against the 
enemy. Since I had shown my sportsmanship by bring- 
ing down accidentally a blackbird on the wing, I felt as if 
I could do some execution with my little pistols, which 
were regularly placed beside my pillow at night ; and I 



COMMENCEMENT OF THE SAUK WAR. 317 

was fully resolved to use them, if necessity required. I 
do Dot remember to have felt the slightest compunction 
at the idea of taking the lives of two Sauks, as I had no 
doubt I should do ; and this explains to me what I had 
before often wondered at, the indifference, namely, of the 
soldier on the field of battle to the destruction of human 
life. Had I been called upon, however, to use my weapons 
efiectually, I should no doubt have looked back upon it 
with horror. 

Surrounded as we were by Indian lodges, which seldom 
became perfectly quiet, and excited as our nerves had be- 
come by all that we were daily in the habit of hear- 
ing, we rarely slept very soundly. One night, after we 
had as much as possible composed ourselves, we were 
startled at a late hour by a tap upon the window at the 
head of our bed, and a call of " Chon ! Chon !"* (John I 
John !) 

'' Tshah-ko-zhah ?" (What is it I) 

It was Hoo-wau-ne-kah, the Little Elk. He spoke rapidly, 
and in a tone of great agitation. I could not understand 
him, and I lay trembling, and dreading to hear his errand 
interpreted. Now and then I could distinguish the words 
Sau-kee (Sauks) and Shoonk-hat-tay-rah (horse), and they 
were not very reassuring. 

The trouble, I soon learned, was this. A fresh trail had 
been observed near the Petit Rocher, on the Wisconsin, 
and the people at the villages on the Barribault were in a 
state of great alarm, fearing it might be the Sauks. 
There was the appearance of a hundred or more horses 
having passed by this trail. Hoo-wau-ne-kah had been 



* The Indians who had " been at Washington" were very fond of call- 
ing their Father thus. Black Wolf's son would go further, and vociferate 
" K'hizzie," to show his familiarity. 

27* 



318 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

dispatched at once to tell their Father, and to ask his 
advice. 

After listening to all he had to communicate, his Father 
told him the trail was undoubtedly that of General Henry's 
troops, who were said to have come north, looking for 
the enemy ; that as the marks of the horses^ hoofs showed 
them, by this report, to have been shod, that was sufficient 
proof that it was not the trail of the Sauks. He thought 
that the people at the villages need not feel any uneasi- 
ness. 

" Very well, Father," replied Hoo-wau-ne-kah ; *' I will 
go back and tell my people what you say. They will 
believe you, for you always tell them the truth. You 
are not like us Indians, who sometimes deceive each 
other." So saying, he returned to his friends, much com- 
forted. 

The completion of the picketing and other defences, to- 
gether with the arrival of a detachment of troops from 
Fort Howard under Lieutenant Hunter, at our fort, now 
seemed to render the latter the place of greatest safety. 
We therefore regularly, every evening immediately before 
dusk, took up our line of march for the opposite side of 
the river, and repaired to quarters that had been assigned 
us within the garrison, leaving our own house and chat- 
tels to the care of the Frenchmen and our friends the 
Winnebagoes. 

It was on one of these days that we were sitting at the 
windows which looked out over the Portage — indeed, we 
seldom sat anywhere else, our almost sole occupation being 
to look abroad and see what was coming next — when a 
loud, long, shrill whoop from a distance gave notice of 
something to be heard. ''The news-halloo! what could 
it portend? What were we about to hear?" By gazing 
intently towards the farthest extremity of the road, we 



COMMENCEMENT OF THE SAUK WAR. 31 9 

could perceive a moviog body of horsemen, which, as they 
approached, we saw to be Indians. They were in full 
costume. Scarlet streamers fluttered at the ends of their 
lances — their arms glittered in the sun. Presently, as 
they drew nearer, their paint and feathers and brooches 
became visible. There were fifty or more warriors. They 
passed the road which turns to the Fort, and rode directly 
up the hill leading to the Agency. Shaw-nee-aw-kee was 
absent. The Interpreter had been sent for on the first 
distant appearance of the strangers, but had not yet 
arrived. The party, having ascended the hill, halted near 
the blacksmith's shop, but did not dismount. 

Our hearts trembled — it must surely be the enemy. At 
this moment my husband appeared from the direction of 
the Interpreter's house. We called to entreat him to stop, 
but he walked along towards the new-comers. 

To our infinite joy, we saw the chief of the party dis- 
mount, and all the others following his example and 
approaching to shake hands. 

A space was soon cleared around the leader and my 
husband, when the former commenced an oration, flour- 
ishing his sword and using much violent gesticulation. 
It was the first time I had seen an Indian armed with 
that weapon, and I dreaded to perceive it in such hands. 
Sometimes he appeared as if he were about to take off the 
head of his auditor at a blow ; and our hearts sank as we 
remembered the stratagems at Mackinac and Detroit in 
former days. At length the speech was concluded, another 
shaking of hands took place, and we saw my husband 
leading the way to his storehouse, from which some of his 
men presently brought tobacco and pipes and laid them 
at the feet of the chief 

Our suspense was soon relieved by being informed that 
the strangers were Man-Eater, the principal chief of the 



320 THE EARLY DAY TN THE NORTHWEST. 

Rock River Indians, who had come with his band to 
" hold a talk" and bring information. 

These Indians were under the special care of Mr. Henry 
Gratiot, and his efforts had been most judicious and unre- 
mitting in preserving the good feeling of this the most 
dangerous portion of the Winnebagoes. 

The intelligence that Man-Eater, who was a most noble 
Indian in appearance and character, brought us, confirmed 
that already received, namely, that the Sauks were gradu- 
ally drawing north, towards the Portage, although he 
evidently did not know exactly their whereabouts. 

There was, soon after they had taken leave, an arrival 
of another party of Winnebagoes, and these requested per- 
mission to dance for their Father. 

The compliment having been accepted, they assembled, 
as usual, on the esplanade in front of the house. My 
sister, the children, and myself stationed ourselves at the 
open windows, according to custom, and my husband sat 
on the broad step before the door, which opened from the 
outer air directly into the parlor where we were. 

The performance commenced, and as the dancers pro- 
ceeded, following each other round and round in the pro- 
gress of the dance, my sister, Mrs. Helm, remarked to me, 
" Look at that small, dark Indian, with the green boughs on 
his person — that is a Sauk ! They always mark themselves 
in this manner with white clay, and ornament themselves 
with leaves when they dance !" In truth, I had never 
seen this costume among our own Indians, and as I gazed 
at this one with green chaplets round his head and his 
legs, and even his gun wreathed in the same manner, while 
his body displayed no paint except the white transverse 
streaks with which it was covered, I saw that he was, 
indeed, a stranger. Without owing anything to the ex- 
aggeration of fear, his countenance was truly ferocious. 



COMMENCEMENT OF THE SAUK WAR. 321 

He held his gun in his hand, and every time the course 
of the dance brought him directly in front of where we sat, 
he would turn his gaze full upon us, and club his weapon 
before him with what we interpreted into an air of de- 
fiance. We sat as still as death, for we knew it would 
not be wise to exhibit any appearance of fear; but my 
sister remarked, in a low tone, " I have always thought 
that I was to lose my life by the hands of the Indians. 
This is the third Indian war I have gone through, and 
now, I suppose, it will be the last," 

It was the only time I ever saw her lose her self-posses- 
sion. She was always remarkably calm and resolute, but 
now I could see that she trembled. Still we sat there — 
there was a sort of fascination as our imaginations became 
more and more excited. Presently some rain-drops began 
to fall. The Indians continued their dance for a few 
minutes longer, then, with whoopings and shoutings, they 
rushed simultaneously towards the house. We fled into 
my apartment and closed the door, which my sister at 
first held fast, but she presently came and seated herself 
by me on the bed, for she saw that I could not compose 
myself. Of all forms of death, that by the hands of 
savages is the most diflScult to face calmly; and I fully 
believed that our hour was come. 

There was no interruption to the dance, which the 
Indians carried on in the parlor, leaping and yelling as 
if they would bring down the roof over our heads. In 
vain we tried to persuade my husband and the children, 
through a crevice of the door, to come and join us. The 
latter, feeling no danger, were too much delighted with 
the exhibition to leave it, and the former only came for a 
moment to reassure me, and then judged it wisest to re- 
turn, and manifest his satisfaction at the compliment by 
his presence. He made light of our fears, and would not 



322 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

admit that the object of our suspicions was in fact a 
Sauk, but only some young Winnebago, who had, as is 
sometimes the custom, imitated them in costume and 
appearance. 

It may have been '' good fun" to him to return to his 
village and tell how he frightened "the white squaws." 
Such a trick would not be unnatural in a white youth, and 
perhaps, since human nature is everywhere the same, it 
might not be out of the way in an Indian. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

FLEEING FROM THE INDIANS. 

The danger had now become so imminent that my 
husband determined to send his family to Fort Howard, a 
point which was believed to be far out of the range of the 
enemy. It was in vain that I pleaded to be permitted to 
remain; he was firm. 

"I must not leave my post," said he, "while there is 
any danger. My departure would perhaps be the signal 
for an immediate alliance of the Winnebagoes with the 
Sauks. I am certain that as long as I am here my pres- 
ence will act as a restraint upon them. You wish to 
remain and share my dangers I Your doing so would 
expose us both to certain destruction in case of attack. 
By the aid of my friends in both tribes, I could hope to 
preserve my own life if I were alone ; but surrounded by 
my family, that would be impossible — we should all fall 
victims together. My duty plainly is, to send you to a 
place of safety." 



FLEEING FROM THE INDIANS. 323 

Au opportunity for doing this soon occurred. Paquette, 
the Interpreter, who was likewise an agent of the Ameri- 
can Fur Company, had occasion to send a boat-load of 
furs to Green Bay, on their way to Mackinac. Mr. Kinzie, 
having seen it as comfortably fitted up as an open boat 
of that description could be, with a tent-cloth fastened on 
a frame-work of hoop-poles over the centre and lined with 
a dark -green blanket, and having placed on board an 
abundant store of provisions and other comforts, com- 
mitted us to the joint care of my brother Arthur and our 
faithful blacksmith, MMa. 

This latter was a tall, gaunt Frenchman, with a freckled 
face, a profusion of crisp, sandy hair, and an inveterate pro- 
pensity to speak English. His knowledge of the language 
was somewhat limited, and he burlesqued it by adding an 
s to almost every word, and giving out each phrase with a 
jerk. 

" Davids," he was wont to say to the little yellow 
fiddler, after an evening's frolic at the Interpreter's, 
" Davids, clear away the tables and the glasses, and play 
fishes-hornspikes."* He was a kind, affectionate crea- 
ture, and his devotion to "Monsieur Johns" and '' Madame 
Johns" knew no bounds. 

Besides these two protectors, three trusty Indians, 
the chief of whom was called Old Smoker, were engaged 
to escort our party. The crew of the boat consisted 
entirely of French engages in the service of the Fur Com- 
pany. They were six gay-hearted, merry fellows, light- 
ening their labor with their pipe and their songs, in which 
latter they would have esteemed it a great compliment to 
be joined by the ladies who listened to them ; but our hearts, 



* Fisher's Hornpipe. 



324 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

alas 1 were now too heavy to participate in their enjoy- 
ment. 

The Fourth of July, the day on which we left our home, 
was a gloomy one indeed to those who departed and to 
the one left behind. Who knew if we should ever meet 
again ? The experience which some of the circle had had 
in Indian warfare was such as to justify the saddest 
forebodings. There was not even the consolation of a 
certainty that this step would secure our safety. The 
Sauks might, possibly, be on the other side of us, and the 
route we were taking might perhaps, though not proba- 
bly, carry us into their very midst. It was no wonder, 
then, that our leave-taking was a solemn one — a parting 
which all felt might be for this world. 

Not all, however ; for the gay, cheerful Frenchmen 
laughed and sang and cracked their jokes, and " assured 
Monsieur John that they would take Madame John and 
Madame Alum safe to the bay, spite of Sauks or wind or 
weather." 

Thus we set out on our journey. For many miles the 
Fort was in sight, as the course of the river alternately 
approached and receded from its walls, and it was not 
until nearly mid-day that we caught the last glimpse of 
our home. 

At the noon-tide meal, or pipe, of the voyageurs, an 
alarming discovery was made: no bread had been put on 
board for the crew I How this oversight had occurred, no 
one could tell. One was certain that a large quantity had 
been brought from the garrison-bakery for their use that 
very morning — another had even seen the sacks of loaves 
standing in Paquette's kitchen. Be that as it may, there 
we were, many miles on our journey, and with no pro- 
visions for the six Frenchmen, except some salted pork, a 
few beans, and some onions. A consultation was held in 



FLEEING FROM THE INDIANS. 325 

this emergency. Should they return to the Portage for 
supplies? The same danger that made their departure 
necessary, still existed, and the utmost dispatch had been 
enjoined upon them. We found upon examination that 
the store of bread and crackers with which our party had 
been provided was far beyond what we could possibly re- 
quire, and we thought it would be sufiBcient to allow of 
rations to the Frenchmen until we should reach Powell's, 
at the Butte des Morts, the day but one following, where 
we should undoubtedly be able to procure a fresh supply. 

This decided on, we proceeded on our journey, always 
in profound silence, for a song or a loud laugh was now 
strictly prohibited until we should have passed the utmost 
limits of country where the enemy might possibly be. We 
had been warned beforehand that a certain point, where 
the low marshy meadows, through which the river had 
hitherto run, rises into a more firm and elevated country, 
was the border of the Menomonee territory, and the spot 
where the Sauks, if they had fled north of the Wisconsin 
towards the Chippewa country, would be most likely to be 
encountered 

As we received intimation on the forenoon of the second 
day that we were drawing near this spot, I must confess 
that " we held our breath for awe." 

The three Winnebagoes were in the bow of the boat. 
Old Smoker, the chief, squatted upon his feet on the bench 
of the foremost rowers. We looked at him. He was gaz- 
ing intently in the direction of the wooded point we were 
approaching. Our eyes followed his, and we saw three 
Indians step forward and stand upon the bank. We said 
in a low voice to each other, " If they are Sauks, we are 
lost, for the whole body must be in that thicket." The 
boat continued to approach ; not a word was spoken ; the 
dip of the paddle, and perhaps the beating hearts of some, 

28 



326 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

were the only sounds that broke the stillness. Again we 
looked at the chief. His nostrils were dilated — his eyes 
almost glaring. 

Suddenly, with a bound, he sprang to his feet and uttered 
his long, shrill whoop. 

"Hoh ! hoh ! hoh ! Neechee (friend) Muh-no-mo-nee /^^ 

All was now joy and gladness. Every one was forward 
to shake hands with the strangers as soon as we could 
reach them, in token of our satisfaction that they were 
Menomonees and not Sauks, of the latter of whom, by the 
way, they could give us no intelligence. 

By noon of that day we considered ourselves to be out 
of the region of danger. Still, caution was deemed neces- 
sary, and when at the mid-day pipe the boat was pushed 
ashore under a beautiful overhanging bank, crowned with 
a thick wood, the usual vigilance was somewhat relaxed, 
and the young people, under the escort of Arthur and 
Mat&, were permitted to roam about a little, in the vicinity 
of the boat. 

They soon came back with the report that the woods 
were "alive with pigeons," — they could almost knock 
them down with sticks; and earnestly did they plead to be 
allowed to shoot at least enough for supper. But no — 
the enemy might be nearer than we imagined — the firing 
of a gun would betray our whereabouts — it was most 
prudent to give no notice to friend or foe. So, very reluc- 
tantly, they were compelled to return to the boat without 
their game. 

The next morning brought us to Powell's, at the Butte 
des Morts. Sad were the faces of the poor Frenchmen at 
learning that not a loaf of bread was to be had. Our 
own store, too, was by this time quite exhausted. The 
only substitute we could obtain was a bag of dark-looking, 
bitter flour. With this provision for our whole party, we 



FLEEING FROM THE INDIANS. 327 

were forced to be contented, and we left the Hillock of 
the Dead, feeling that it had been indeed the grave of 
our hopes. 

By dint of good rowing, our crew soon brought us to 
the spot where the river enters that beautiful sheet of 
water, Winnebago Lake. Though there was but little 
wind when we reached the lake, the Frenchmen hoisted 
their sail, in hopes to save themselves the labor of row- 
ing across ; but in vain did they whistle, with all the force 
of their lungs — in vain did they supplicate La Vierge, with 
a comical mixture of fun and reverence. As a last resource, 
it was at length suggested by some one that their only 
chance lay in propitiating the goddess of the winds with 
an oflfering of some cast-off garment. 

Application was made all round by Guardapie, the 
chief spokesman of the crew. Alas ! not one of the poor 
voyageurs could boast a spare article. A few old rags 
were at length rummaged out of the little receptacle of 
food, clothing, and dirt in the bow of the boat, and cast 
into the waves. For a moment all flattered themselves 
that the experiment had been successful — the sail fluttered, 
swelled a little, and then flapped idly down against the 
mast. The party were in despair, until, after a whispered 
consultation together, Julian and Edwin stepped forward 
as messengers of mercy. In a trice they divested them- 
selves of jacket and vest and made a proffer of their next 
garment to aid in raising the wind. 

At first there seemed a doubt in the minds of the boat- 
men whether they ought to accept so magnificent an offer; 
but finding, on giving them a preparatory shake, that the 
value of the contribution was less than they had imag- 
ined, they, with many shouts and much laughter, con- 
signed them to the waves. To the great delight and 
astonishment of the boys, a breeze at this moment sprung 



328 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

up, which carried the little vessel beautifully over the 
waters for about half the distance to Garlic Island. By 
this time the charm was exhausted, nor was it found pos- 
sible to renew it by a repetition of similar offerings. All 
expedients were tried without success, and, with sundry 
rather disrespectful reflections upon the lady whose aid 
they had invoked, the Frenchmen were compelled to 
betake themselves to their oars, until they reached the 
island. 

Two or three canoes of Winnebagoes arrived at the 
same moment, and their owners immediately stepped for- 
ward with an offering of some sturgeon which they had 
caught in the lake. As this promised to be an agreeable 
variety to the noon-tide meal (at least for the Frenchmen), 
it was decided to stop and kindle a fire for the purpose of 
cooking it. We took advantage of this interval to recom- 
mend to the boys a stroll to the opposite side of the island, 
where the clear, shallow water and pebbly beach offered 
temptation to a refreshing bath. While they availed 
themselves of this, under the supervision of Harry, the 
black boy, we amused ourselves with gathering the fine 
red raspberries with which the island abounded. 

Our enjoyment was cut short, however, by discovering 
that the whole place, vines, shrubs, and even, apparently, 
the earth itself, was infested with myriads of the wood- 
tick, a little insect, that, having fastened to the skin, 
penetrates into the very flesh, causing a swelling and irri- 
tation exceeding painful, and even dangerous. The alarm 
was sounded, to bring the boys back in all haste to the 
open and more frequented part of the island. But we 
soon found we had not left our tormentors behind. 
Throughout the day we continued to be sensible of their 
proximity. From the effects of their attacks we were not 
relieved for several succeeding days; those which had 



FLEEING FROM THE INDIANS. 329 

succeeded in burying themselves iu the flesh having to 
be removed with the point of a penknife or a large needle. 
After partaking of our dinner, we stepped on board our 
boat, and, the wind having risen, we were carried by the 
breeze to the farther verge of the lake, and into the 
entrance of the river, or, as it was called, the Winnebago 
Rapids. 

On the point of land to the right stood a collection of 
neat bark wigwams— this was Four-Legs' village. 

It was an exciting and somewhat hazardous passage 
down the rapids and over the Grand Chute, a fall of several 
feet ; but it was safely passed, and at the approach of 
evening the boat reached the settlement of the Wauba- 
nakees at the head of the Little Chute. These are the 
Stockbridge or Brothertown Indians, the remains of the 
old Mohicans, who had, a few years before, emigrated 
from Oneida County, in the State of New York, to a tract 
granted them by the United States, on the fertile banks 
of the Fox River. They had already cleared extensive 
openings in the forest, and built some substantial and 
comfortable houses near the banks of the river, which 
were here quite high, and covered for the most part with 
gigantic trees. 

It was determined to ask hospitality of these people, to 
the extent of borrowing a corner of their fire to boil our 
tea-kettle, and bake the short-cake which had been now, 
for nearly two days, our substitute for bread. Its manu- 
facture had been a subject of much merriment. The in- 
gredients, consisting of Powell's black flour, some salt, 
and a little butter, were mixed in the tin box which had 
held our meat. This w^as then reversed, and, having been 
properly cleansed, supplied the place of a dough-board. 
The vinegar-bottle served the office of rolling-pin, and a 
shallow tin dish formed the appliance for baking. The 



330 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Waubanakees were so good as to lend us an iron bake- 
kettle, and superintend tbe cooking of our cake after 
Harry bad carried it up to tbeir dwelling. 

So kind and hospitable did they show themselves, that 
the crew of the boat took the resolution of asking a lodging 
on shore, by way of relief after their crowded quarters in 
the boat for the last three nights. Arthur and Mata soon 
adopted the same idea, and we were invited to follow their 
example, with the assurance that the houses were ex- 
tremely neat and orderly. 

We preferred, however, as it was a fine night, and all 
things were so comfortably arranged in the boat, to re- 
main on board, keeping Edwin and Josette with us. 

The boat was tightly moored, for the little Chute was 
just below, and if our craft should break loose in the rapid 
current, and drift down over the falls, it would be a very 
serious matter. As an additional precaution, one man 
was left on board to keep all things safe and in order, and, 
these arrangements having been made, the others ascended 
the bank, and took up their night's lodgings in the Wau- 
banakee cabins. 

It was a beautiful, calm, moonlight night, the air just 
sufficiently warm to be agreeable, while the gentle mur- 
mur of the rapids and of the fall, at no great distance, soon 
lulled our party to repose. How long we had slumbered 
we knew not, when we were aroused by a rushing wind. 
It bent the poles supporting the awning, snapped them, 
and, another gust succeeding, tent and blanket were car- 
ried away on the blast down the stream. The moonlight 
was gone, but a flash of lightning showed them sailing 
away like a spectre in the distance. 

The storm increased in violence. The rain began to 
pour in torrents, and the thunder and lightning to succeed 
each other in fearful rapidity. My sister sprang to waken 



FLEE TNG FROM THE INDIANS. 331 

the Frenchman. " Get up, Vitelle, quick," cried she, in 
French, '' run up the bank for Miit^ and Mr. Arthur— tell 
them to come and get us instantly." 

The man made her no reply, but fell upon his knees, in- 
voking the Virgin most vociferously. 

"Do not wait for the Virgin, but go as quickly as pos- 
sible. Do you not see we shall all be killed ?" 

" Oh ! not for the world, madame, not for the world," 
said Vitelle, burying his head in a pack of furs, " would I 
go up that bank in this storm." And here he began cry- 
ing most lustily to all the saints in the calendar. 

It was indeed awful. The roaring of the thunder and 
the flashing of the lightning around us were like the con- 
tinued discharge of a park of artillery. I with some diffi- 
culty drew forth my cloak, and enveloped myself and 
Josette — sister Margaret did the same with Edwin. 

" Oh 1 madame," said the poor little girl, her teeth chat- 
tering with cold and fright, " won't we be drowned ?" 

" Very well," said my sister to the Frenchman, '' you 
see that Madame John is at the last agony — if you will 
not go for help I must, and Monsieur John must know 
that you left his wife to perish." 

This was too much for Vitelle. " If I must, I must," 
said he, and with a desperate bound he leaped on shore and 
sped up the hill with might and main. 

In a few minutes, though it seemed ages to us, a whole 
posse came flying down the hill. The incessant lightning 
made all things appear as in the glare of day. Mata's 
curly hair fairly stood on end, and his eyes rolled with 
ghastly astonishment at the spectacle. 

"Oh, my God, Madame Johns! what would Monsieur 
Johns say, to see you nows ?" exclaimed he, as he seized 
me in his arms and bore me up the hill. Arthur followed 
with sister Margaret, and two others with Edwin and 



332 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Josette. Nobody carried Yitelle, for he had taken care not 
to risk his precious life by venturing again to the boat. 

On arriving at the cabin where Arthur and Mdta had 
been lodged, a fire was, with some difficulty, kindled, and 
our trunks having been brought up from the boat, we 
were at length able to exchange our drenched garments, 
and those of the children, for others more comfortable, 
after which we laid ourselves upon the clean but homely 
bed, and slept until daylight. 

As it was necessary to ascertain what degree of damage 
the cargo of furs had sustained, an early start was pro- 
posed. Apparently, the inhabitants of the cottages had 
become weary in well-doing, for they declined preparing 
breakfast for us, although we assured them they should be 
well compensated for their trouble. We, consequently, 
saw ourselves compelled to depart with very slender pros- 
pects of a morning meal. 

When we reached the boat, what a scene presented 
itself I Bedclothes, cloaks, trunks, mess-basket, packs of 
furs, all bearing the marks of a complete deluge I The 
boat ankle-deep in water — literally no place on board 
where we could either stand or sit. After some baling 
out, and an attempt at disposing some of the packs of furs 
which had suffered least from the flood, so as to form a 
sort of divan in the centre of the boat, nothing better 
seemed to offer than to re-embark, and endure what could 
not be cured. 

Our position was not an enviable one. Wherever a foot 
or hand was placed, the water gushed up, with a bubbling 
sound, and, oh ! the state of the bandboxes and work- 
baskets 1 Breakfast there was none, for on examining the 
mess-basket everything it contained was found mingled in 
one undistinguishable mass. Tea, pepper, salt, short-cake, 
all floating together — it was a hopeless case. 



FLEEING FROM THE INDIANS. 333 

But this was not the worst. As the fervid July sun 
rose higher in the heavens, the steam which exhaled from 
every object on board was nearly suffocating. The boat 
was old — the paeks of skins were old — their vicinity in a 
dry day had been anything but agreeable — now it was 
intolerable. There was no retreating from it, however; 
so we encouraged the children to arm themselves with 
patience, for the short time that yet remained of our 
voyage. 

Seated on our odoriferous couch, beneath the shade of a 
single umbrella, to protect our whole party from the scorch- 
ing sun, we glided wearily down the stream, through that 
long, tedious day. As we passed successively the Kaka- 
lin, the Rapids, Dickenson's, the Agency, with what long- 
ing eyes did we gaze at human habitations, where others 
were enjoying the shelter of a roof and the comforts of 
food — and how eagerly did we count the hours which 
must elapse before we could reach Fort Howard I 

There were no songs from the poor Frenchmen this 
day. Music and fasting do not go well together. At 
length we stopped at Shanty-town, where the boat was 
to be unloaded. All hands fell to work to transfer the 
cargo to the warehouse of the Fur Company, which stood 
near the landing. It was not a long operation, for all 
worked heartily. This being accomplished, the voyageurs, 
one and all, prepared to take their leave. In vain Mata 
stormed and raved — in vain Arthur remonstrated. 

" No," they said, '* they had brought the boat and cargo 
to the warehouse — that was all of their job." And they 
turned to go. 

" Guardapie," said I, " do you intend to leave us here ?" 

" Bien, madame ! it is the place we always stop at." 

" Does Monsieur John pay you for bringing his family 
down?" 



334 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

" Oh, yes, Monsieur John has given us an order on the 
sutler, at the Fort down below." 

" To be paid when you deliver us safe at the Fort down 
below. It seems I shall be there before you, and I shall 
arrange that matter. Monsieur John never dreamed that 
this would be your conduct." 

The Frenchmen consulted together, and the result was 
that Guardapie with two others jumped into the boat, 
took their oars, and rather sulkily rowed us the remaining 
two miles to Fort Howard. 



CHAPTER XXXIY. 

FORT HOWAKD — OUR RETITRN HOME. 

We soon learned that a great panic prevailed at Green 
Bay on account of the Sauks. The people seemed to have 
possessed themselves with the idea that the enemy would 
visit this place on their way to Canada to put themselves 
under the protection of the British Government. How 
they were to get there from this point — whether they 
were to stop and fabricate themselves bark canoes for the 
purpose, or whether they were to charter one of Mr. New- 
bery's schooners for the trip, the good people did not 
seem fully to have made up their minds. One thing is 
certain, a portion of the citizens were nearly frightened to 
death, and were fully convinced that there was no safety 
for them but within the walls of the old dilapidated fort, 
from which nearly all the troops had been withdrawn and 
sent to Fort Winnebago some time previous. 



FORT HOWARD— OUR RETURN UOME. 335 

Their fears were greatly aggravated by a report, 
brought by some traveller, that he had slept at night on 
the very spot where the Sauks breakfasted the next morn- 
ing. Now, as the Sauks were known to be reduced to 
very short commons, there was every reason to suppose 
that if the man had waited half an hour longer they 
would have eaten him ; so he was considered to have 
made a wonderful escape. 

Our immediate friends and acquaintances were far from 
joining in these fears. The utter improbability of such a 
movement was obvious to all who considered the nature 
of the country to be traversed, and the efficient and nu- 
merous body of whites by whom they must be opposed on 
their entrance into that neighborhood. There were some, 
however, who could not be persuaded that there was any 
security but in flight, and eagerly was the arrival of the 
" Mariner" looked for, as the anxiety grew more and more 
intense. 

The " Mariner" appeared at last. It was early in the 
morning. In one hour from the time of her arrival the fear- 
ful news she brought had spread the whole length of the 
settlement — "the cholera was in this country I It was in 
Detroit — it was among the troops who were on their way 
to the seat of war! Whole companies had died of it in the 
river St. Clair, and the survivors had been put on shore 
at Fort Gratiot, to save their lives as best they might!" 
We were shut in between the savage foe on one hand and 
the pestilence on the other! 

To those who had friends at the East the news was 
most appalling. It seemed to unman every one who 
heard it. An officer who had exhibited the most dis- 
tinguished prowess in the battle-field, and also in some 
private enterprises demanding unequalled courage and 
daring, was the first to bring us the news. When he had 



336 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

communicated it, he laid his head against the window-sill 
and wept like a child. 

Those who must perforce rejoin friends near and dear, 
left the Bay in the "Mariner;" all others considered their 
present home the safest; and so it proved, for the dreadful 
scourge did not visit Green Bay that season. 

The weather was intensely hot, and the mosquitoes so 
thick that we did not pretend to walk on the parade after 
sunset, unless armed with two fans, or green branches 
to keep constantly in motion, in order to disperse them. 
This, by the way, was the surest method of attracting 
them. We had somehow forgotten the apathetic indiffer- 
ence which had often excited our wonder in Old Smoker, 
as we had observed him calmly sitting and allowing his 
naked arms and person to become literally gray with the 
tormenting insects. Then he would quietly wipe off a 
handful, the blood following the movement of the hand 
over his skin, and stoically wait for an occasion to repeal 
the movement. It is said that the mosquito, if undisturbed 
until he has taken his fill, leaves a much less inflamed bite 
than if brushed away in the midst of his feast. 

By day, the air was at this season filled with what is 
called the Green Bay fly, a species of dragon-fly, with 
which the outer walls of the houses are at times so 
covered that their color is hardly distinguishable. Their 
existence is very ephemeral, scarcely lasting more than a 
day. Their dead bodies are seen adhering to the walls 
and windows within, and they fall without in such num- 
bers that after a high wind has gathered them into rows 
along the sides of the quarters, one may walk through 
them and toss them up with their feet like the dry leaves 
in autumn. 

As we walked across the parade, our attention was 
sometimes called to a tapping upon the bars of the dun- 



FORT HOWARD— OUR RETURN HOME. 337 

geon in which a criminal was confined — it was the mur- 
derer of Lieutenant Foster. 

It may be remembered that this amiable young officer 
had been our travelling companion in our journey from 
Chicago the preceding year. Some months after his arrival 
at Fort Howard, he had occasion to order a soldier of his 
company, named Doyle, into confinement for intoxication. 
The man, a few days afterwards, prevailed on the sergeant 
of the guard to escort him to Lieutenant Foster's quarters 
on the plea that he wished to speak to him. He ascended 
the stairs to the young officer's room, while the sergeant 
and another soldier remained at the foot, near the door. 

Doyle entered, and, addressing Lieutenant Foster, said, 
" Will you please tell me, lieutenant, what I am confined 
for ?" 

"No, sir," replied the officer; "you know your offence 
well enough; return to your place of confinement." 

The man ran down-stairs, wrenched the gun from the 
sergeant's hand, and, rushing back, discharged it at the 
heart of Lieutenant Foster. 

He turned to go to his inner apartment, but exclaiming, 
"Ah me I" he fell dead before the entrance. 

Doyle, having been tried by a civil court, was now under 
sentence, awaiting his execution. He was a hardened 
villain, never exhibiting the slightest compunction for his 
crime. 

The commanding officer. Major Clark, sent to him one 
day to inquire if he wanted anything for his comfort. 

" If the Major pleased," he replied, " he should like to 
have a light and a copy of Byron's Works." 

Some fears were entertained that he would contrive to 
make way with himself before the day of execution, and, 
to guard against it, he was deprived of everything that 
could furnish him a weapon. His food was served to him 

29 



838 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

in a wooden bowl, lest a bit of broken crockery might be 
used as a means of self-destruction. 

One morning be sent a little package to the commanding 
oflBcer as a present. It contained a strong rope, fabricated 
from strips of his blanket, that he had carefully separated, 
and with a large stout spike at the end of it. The message 
accompanying it was, " He wished Major Clark to see 
that if he chose to put an end to himself, he could find 
means to do it in spite of him." 

And this hardened frame of mind continued to the last. 
When he was led out for execution, in passing beyond the 
gate, he observed a quantity of lumber recently collected 
for the construction of a new Company's warehouse. 

"Ah, captain, what are you going to build here?" in- 
quired he of Captain Scott, who attended him. 

"Doyle," replied his captain, "you have but a few 
moments to live — you had better employ your thoughts 
about something else." 

"It is for that very reason, captain," said he, "that I 
am inquiring — as my time is short, I wish to gain all the 
information I can while it lasts," 



We were not suffered to remain long in suspense in re- 
gard to the friends we had left behind. In less than two 
weeks Old Smoker again made his appearance. He was 
the bearer of letters from my husband, informing me that 
General Dodge was then with him at Fort Winnebago, 
that Generals Henry and Alexander were likewise at the 
Fort, and that as soon as they had recruited their men and 
horses, which were pretty well worn out with scouring 
the country after Black Hawk, they would march again 
in pursuit of him towards the head-waters of the Rock 
River, where they had every reason, from information 



FORT HOWARD— OUR RETURN HOME. 339 

lately brought in by the Winnebagoes, to believe he would 
be found. 

As he charged us to lay aside all uneasiness on his ac- 
count, and moreover held forth the hope of soon coming or 
sending for us, our minds became more tranquil. 

Not long after this, I was told one morning that " a 
lady " wished to see me at the front door. I obeyed the 
summons, and, to my surprise, was greeted by my friend 
Madame Four-Legs. After much demonstration of joy at 
seeing me, such as putting her two hands together over 
her forehead and then parting them in a waving kind of 
gesture, laughing, and patting me on my arms, she drew 
from her bosom a letter from my husband, of which she 
was the bearer. It was to this effect — " Generals Dodge 
and Henry left here a few days since, accompanied by 
Paquette ; they met the Sauks near the Wisconsin, on 
the 21st. A battle ensued, in which upwards of fifty of 
the enemy were killed — our loss was one killed, and eight 
wounded. The citizens are well pleased that all this has 
been accomplished without any aid from Old White 
Beaver."^ The war must be near its close, for the militia 
and regulars together will soon finish the remaining hand- 
ful of fugitives." 

The arrival of Lieutenant Hunter, who had obtained 
leave of absence in order to escort us, soon put all things 
in train for our return to Fort Winnebago. No Mackinac 
boat was to be had, but in lieu of it a Durham boat was 
procured. This is of a description longer and shallower 
than the other, with no convenience for rigging up an 
awning, or shelter of any kind, over the centre ; but its 
size was better fitted to accommodate our party, which 
consisted, besides our own family, of Lieutenant and Mrs. 

* General Atkinson. 



340 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Hunter, the wife of another officer now stationed at Fort 
Winnebago, and our cousin, Miss Forsyth. We made up 
our minds, as will be supposed, to pretty close quarters. 

Our crew was composed partly of Frenchmen and 
partly of soldiers, and, all things being in readiness, we 
set off one fine bright morning in the latter part of July. 

Our second day's alternate rowing and poling brought 
us to the Grande Chute early in the afternoon. 

Here, it is the custom to disembark at the foot of the 
rapids, and, ascending the high bank, walk around the 
fall, while the men pull the boat up through the foaming 
waters. 

Most of our party had already stepped on shore, when 
a sudden thought seized one of the ladies and myself. 

" Let us stay in the boat," said we, "and be pulled up 
the Chute." The rest of the company went on, while we 
sat and watched with great interest the preparations the 
men were making. They were soon overboard in the 
water, and, attaching a strong rope to the bow of the boat, 
all lent their aid in pulling as they marched slowly along 
with their heavy load. The cargo, consisting only of our 
trunks and stores, which were of no very considerable 
weight, had not been removed. 

We went on, now and then getting a tremendous bump 
against a hidden rock, and frequently splashed by a shower 
of foam as the waves roared and boiled around us. 

The men kept as close as possible to the high, pre- 
cipitous bank, where the water was smoothest. At the 
head of the cordel was a merry simpleton of a Frenchman, 
who was constantly turning his head to grin with delight 
at our evident enjoyment and excitement. 

We were indeed in high glee. " Is not this charming?" 
cried one. " I only wish " 

The wish, whatever it was, was cut short by a shout 



FORT HOWARD— OUR RETURN HOME. 341 

and a crash. " Have a care, Robineau ! Mind where you 
are taking the boat !" was the cry, but it came too late. 
More occupied with the ladies than with his duty, the leader 
had guided us into the midst of a sharp, projecting tree 
that hung from the bank. The first tug ripped out the side 
of the boat, which immediately began to fill with water. 

My companion and I jumped upon the nearest rocks 
that showed their heads above the foam. Our screams 
and the shouts of the men brought Lieutenant Hunter and 
some Indians, who were above on the bank, dashing 
down to our rescue. They carried us in their arms to 
land, while the men worked lustily at fishing up the con- 
tents of the boat, now thoroughly saturated with water. 

We scrambled up the high bank, in a miserable plight, 
to join in the general lamentation over the probable conse- 
quences of the accident. 

" Oh 1 my husband's new uniform 1" cried one, and 
" Oh I the miniatures in the bottom of my trunk !" sighed 
another — while, " Oh ! the silk dresses, and the ribbons, 
and the finery I" formed the general chorus. 

No one thought of the provisions, although we had ob- 
served, in our progress to shore, the barrel of bread and 
the tub of ice, which Lieutenant Hunter had providently 
brought for our refreshment, sailing away on the dancing 
waves. Among the boxes brought to land, and " toted " 
up the steep bank, was one containing some loaves of 
sugar and packages of tea, which I had bought for our 
winter's supply from the sutler at the post. The young 
Indian who was the bearer of it set it upon the ground, 
and soon called my attention to a thick, white stream that 
was oozing from the corners. I made signs for him to 
taste it. He dipped his finger in it, and exclaimed with 
delight to his companions, when he perceived what it was. 
I then pointed to his hatchet, and motioned him to open 

29* 



342 THE EARLY DAY TN THE NORTHWEST. 

the box. He did not require a second invitation — it was 
soon hacked to pieces. 

Then, as I beckoned up all the rest of the youngsters 
who were looking on, full of wonder, such a scrambling 
and shouting with delight succeeded as put us all, particu- 
larly the boys, into fits of laughter. Bowls, dippers, hands, 
everything that could contain even the smallest quantity, 
were put in requisition. The squaws were most active. 
Those who could do no better took the stoutest fragments 
of the blue paper in which the sugar had been enveloped, 
and in a trice nothing remained but the wet, yellow bun- 
dles of tea, and the fragments of the splintered box which 
had contained it. 

By this time fires had been made, and the articles from 
the trunks were soon seen covering every shrub and bush 
in the vicinity. Fortunately, the box containing the new 
uniform had been piled high above the others, in the centre 
of the boat, and had received but little damage ; but sad 
was the condition of the wardrobes in general. 

Not a white article was to be seen. All was mottled ; 
blue, green, red, and black intermingling in streaks, and 
dripping from ends and corners. 

To add to the trouble, the rain began to fall, as rain is 
apt to do, at an inconvenient moment, and soon the half- 
dried garments had to be gathered out of the smoke and 
huddled away in a most discouraging condition. 

The tent was pitched, wet as it was, and the blankets, 
wrung out of the water, and partially dried, were spread 
upon the ground for our accommodation at night, 

A Hamburg cheese, which had been a part of my stores, 
was voted to me for a pillow, and, after a supper the best 
part of which was a portion of one of the wet loaves which 
had remained in a barrel too tightly wedged to drift away, 
we betook ourselves to our repose. 



FORT HOWARD— OUR RETURN HOME. 343 

The next morning rose hot and sultry. The mosquitoes, 
which the rain had kept at bay through the night, now 
began to make themselves amends, and to torment us 
unmercifully. 

After our most uncomfortable and unpalatable break- 
fast, the first question for consideration was, what we 
were to do with ourselves. Our boat lay submerged at 
the foot of the hill, half-way up the rapids. The nearest 
habitation among the Waubanakees was some miles dis- 
tant, and this there was no means of reaching but by an 
Indian canoe, if some of our present friends and neighbors 
would be so obliging as to bring one for our use. Even 
then it was doubtful if boats could be found sufificient to 
convey all our numerous party back to Green Bay. 

In the midst of these perplexing consultations a whoop 
was heard from beyond the hill, which here sloped away 
to the north, at the head of the rapids. 

" There is John I that is certainly his voice I" cried more 
than one of the company. 

It was, indeed, my husband, and in a moment he was 
among us. Never was arrival more opportune, more evi- 
dently providential. 

Not having learned our plans (for the unsettled state 
of the country had prevented our sending him word), he 
had come provided with a boat, to take us back to Fort 
Winnebago. 

Our drying operations, which we had recommenced this 
morning, were soon cut short. Everything was shuflfled 
away in the most expeditious manner possible, and in an 
incredibly short time we were transferred to the other 
boat, which lay quietly above the Chute, and were pulling 
away towards Winnebago Lake. 

We had resolved to go only so far as the vicinity of the 
lake, where the breeze would render the mosquitoes less 



344 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

intolerable, and then to stop and make one more attempt 
at drying our clothing. Accordingly, when we reached a 
beautiful high bank near the Little Butte, we stopped for 
that purpose again, unpacked our trunks, and soon every 
bush and twig was fluttering with the spoils of the cruel 
waves. 

Hardly had we thus disposed of the last rag or ribbon 
when the tramp of horses was heard, followed by loud 
shouts and cheers ringing through the forest. 

A company of about twenty-five horsemen, with banners 
flying, veils fluttering from their hats, and arms glittering 
in the sun, rode into our midst, and, amid greetings and 
roars of laughter, inquired into the nature and reasons 
of our singular state of confusion. 

They were Colonel Stambough and Alexander Irwin, 
of Green Bay, with a company of young volunteers, and 
followed by a whooping band of Menomonees, all bound 
for the seat of war. We comforted them with the assur- 
ance that the victories were by this time all won and the 
scalps taken ; but, expressing the hope that there were yet 
a few laurels to be earned, they bade us adieu, and rapidly 
pursued their march. 

We crossed Lake Winnebago by the clear, beautiful 
light of a summer moon. The soft air was just enough 
to swell the sail, and thus save the men. their labor at 
the oar. 

The witchery of the hour was not, however, sufficient 
to induce us to forego our repose after the heat and an- 
noyances of the day — we therefore disposed ourselves be- 
times, to be packed away in the centre of the boat. How 
it was accomplished no one of the numerous company 
could tell. If any accident had occurred to disturb our 
arrangement, I am sure it would have been a Chinese 
puzzle to put us back again in our places. The men on 



FORT HOWARD— OUR RETURN HOME. 345 

the outside had much the best of it, and we rather envied 
those who were off watch, their ability to snore and change 
position as the humor took them. 

We reached Powell's just in time to have gone ashore 
and prepare our breakfast had we had wherewithal to 
prepare it. We had hoped to be able to procure some 
supplies here, for hitherto we had been living on the re- 
mains of my husband's ample stock. That was now so 
nearly exhausted that when we found the mess-basket 
could not be replenished at this place we began to talk 
of putting ourselves on allowance. 

The wet bread, of which there had remained an ample 
store, had, as may be readily imagined, soon fermented 
under the influence of a July sun. The tea, too, notwith- 
standing our careful efforts at drying it on newspapers 
and pieces of board, ere long became musty and unfit for 
use. There was, literally, nothing left, except the salted 
meat and a few crackers, hardly sufficient for the present 
day. 

The men were therefore urged to make all the speed 
possible, that we might reach Gleason's, at Lake Puckaway, 
in good season on the following day. 

At evening, when we stopped to take our tea at a beau- 
tiful little opening among the trees, we found our old 
enemies, the mosquitoes, worse than ever. It was neces- 
sary to put on our cloaks and gloves, and tie our veils 
close around our throats, only venturing to introduce a 
cracker or a cup of tea under this protection in the most 
stealthy manner. 

The men rowed well, and brought us to Gleason's about 
eleven o'clock the next day. We were greeted with the 
most enthusiastic demonstrations by my old friend La 
Grosse Americaine, who had removed here from Belle- 
fontaine. 



346 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

" Oh, Mrs. Armstrong," cried we, " get us some break- 
fast — we are famishing !" 

At that instant who should appear but our faithful 
Mata, driving the old caliche in which we were in the 
habit of making our little excursions in the neighborhood 
of the Fort. He had ridden over, hoping to meet us, in 
the idea that some of us would prefer this method of 
reaching our home. 

With provident thoughtfulness, he had brought tea, 
roasted coffee, fresh butter, eggs, etc., lest we should be short 
of such luxuries in that advanced stage of our journey. 

His "Good-morning, Madame Johns I How do you 
dos ?" was a pleasant and welcome sound. 

We could not wait for our breakfast, but gathered round 
La Grosse Americaine like a parcel of children while she 
cut and spread slices of bread-and-butter for us. 

After our regular meal was finished, it was decided that 
sister Margaret should take Josette, and return with Mata 
to open the house and make it ready for our reception. It 
had been the head-quarters of militia, Indians, and strag- 
glers of various descriptions during our absence, and we 
could easily imagine that a little " misrule and unreason'* 
might have had sway for that period. 

We had yet seventy-two miles, by the devious winding 
course of the river, over first the beautiful waters of Lac 
de Boeuf, and then through the low, marshy lands that 
spread away to the Portage. An attempt was made on 
the part of one of the gentlemen to create a little excite- 
ment among the ladies as we approached the spot where 
it had been supposed the Sauks might pass on their way 
to the Chippewa country. 

" Who knows," said he, gravely, " but they may be 
lurking in this neighborhood yet? If so, we shall probably 
have some signal. We must be on the alert !" 



SURRENDER OF WINNEBAGO PRISONERS. 34 •? 

Some of the ladies began to turn pale and look about 
them. After an interval of perfect silence, a low, prolonged 
whistle was heard. There was so much agitation, and 
even actual terror, that the mischievous author of the 
trick was obliged to confess at once, and receive a hearty- 
scolding for the pain he had caused. 

Just before sunset of the second day from Gleason's we 
reached our home. Every thing was radiant with neat- 
ness and good order. With the efficient aid of our good 
Manaigre and his wife, the house had been whitewashed 
from the roof to the door-sill, a thorough scrubbing and 
cleansing effected, the carpets unpacked and spread upon 
the floors, the furniture arranged, and, though last not 
least, a noble supper smoked upon the board by the time 
we had made, once more, a civilized toilet. 

Many of our friends from the Fort were there to greet 
us, and a more happy or thankful party has seldom been 
assembled. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

SURRENDER OF WINNEBAGO PRISONERS. 

The war was now considered at an end. The news of 
the battle of the Bad Axe, where the regulars, the militia, 
and the steamboat Warrior combined, had made a final 
end of the remaining handful of Sauks, had reached us 
and restored tranquillity to the hearts and homes of the 
frontier settlers. 

It may seem wonderful that an enemy so few in num- 
ber and so insignificant in resources could have created 



348 1'SE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

such a panic, and required so vast an amount of opposing 
force to subdue them. The difficulty had been simply in 
never knowing where to find them, either to attack or 
guard against them. Probably at the outset every military 
man thought and felt like the noble old veteran General 
Brady. " Give me two infantry companies mounted," said 
he, "and I will engage to whip the Sauks out of the 
country in one week!" 

True, but to whip the enemy you must first meet him ; 
and in order to pursue efi'ectually and catch the Indians, a 
peculiar training is necessary — a training which, at that 
day, few, even of the frontier militia, could boast. 

In some portions of this campaign there was another 
difficulty, — the want of concert between the two brauches 
of the service. The regular troops looked with contempt 
upon the unprofessional movements of the militia ; the 
militia railed at the dilatory and useless formalities of the 
regulars. Each avowed the conviction that matters could 
be much better conducted without the other, and the 
militia, being prompt to act, sometimes took matters into 
their own hands, and brought on defeat and disgrace, as 
in the affair of " Stillman's Run." 

The feeling of contempt which the army officers enter- 
tained for the militia, extended itself to their subordinates 
and dependants. After the visit of the Ranger officers to 
Fort Winnebago, before the battle of the Wisconsin, the 
officer of the mess where they had been entertained called 
up his servant one day to inquire into the sutler's ac- 
counts. He was the same little " Yellow David" who had 
formerly appertained to Captain Harney. 

" David," said the young gentleman, " I see three bottles 
of cologne-water charged in the month's account of the 
mess at the sutler's. What does that mean?" 

" If you please, lieutenant," said David, respectfully, 



SURRENDER OF WINNEBAGO PRISONERS. 349 

" it was to sweeten up the dining-room and quarters after 
them milish' officers were here visiting." 

Black Hawk and a few of his warriors had escaped to 
the north, where they were shortly after captured by the 
One-eyed Day-kau-ray and his party, and brought prisoners 
to General Street at Prairie du Chien. The women and 
children of the band had been put in canoes and sent 
down the Mississippi, in hopes of being permitted to cross 
and reach the rest of that tribe. 

The canoes had been tied together, and many of them 
were upset, and the children drowned, their mothers being 
too weak and exhausted to rescue them. The survivors 
were taken prisoners, and, starving and miserable, were 
brought to Prairie du Chien. Our mother was at the Fort 
at the time of their arrival. She described their condition 
as wretched and reduced beyond anything she had ever 
witnessed. One woman who spoke a little Chippewa 
gave her an account of the sufferings and hardships they 
had endured— it was truly appalling. 

After having eaten such of the horses as could be 
spared, they had subsisted on acorns, elm-bark, or even 
grass. Many had died of starvation, and their bodies 
were found lying in their trail by the pursuing whites. 
This poor woman had lost her husband in battle, and all her 
children by the upsetting of the canoe in which they were, 
and her only wish now was, to go and join them. Poor In- 
dians ! who can wonder that they do not love the whites? 
But a very short time had we been quietly at home 
when a summons came to my husband to collect the prin- 
cipal chiefs of the Winnebagoes and meet General Scott 
and Governor Reynolds at Rock Island, where it was pro- 
posed to hold a treaty for the purchase of all the lands 
east and south of the Wisconsin. Messengers were ac- 
cordingly sent to collect the principal men, and, accom- 

30 



350 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

panied by as many as chose to report themselves, he set 
off on his journey. 

He had been gone about two weeks, and I was be- 
ginning to count the days which must elapse before I 
could reasonably expect his return, when, one afternoon, 
I went over to pay a visit to my sister at the Fort. As 1 
passed into the large hall of one range of quarters, Lieu- 
tenant Lacy came suddenly in from the opposite direction, 
and, almost without stopping, cried, — 

" Bad news, madam ! Have you heard it?" 

"No. What is it?" 

" The cholera has broken out at Rock Island, and they 
are dying by five hundred a day. Dr. Finley has just 
arrived with the news." So saying, he vanished, without 
stopping to answer a question. 

The cholera at Rock Island, and my husband there ! I 
flew to the other door of the hall, which looked out upon 
the parade-ground. A sentinel was walking near. *' Sol- 
dier," cried I, " will you run to the young ofiBcers' quarters 
and ask Dr. Finley to come here for a moment?" 

The man shook his head — he was not allowed to leave 
his post. 

Presently Mrs. Lacy's servant-girl appeared from a door 
under the steps. She was a worthless creature, but where 
help was so scarce ladies could not afford to keep a scru- 
pulous tariff of moral qualification. 

" Oh I Catharine," said I, " will you run over and ask 
Dr. Finley to come here a moment ? I must hear what 
news he has brought from Rock Island." She put on a 
modest look, and said, — 

" I do not like to go to the young officers' quarters." 

I was indignant at her hypocrisy, but I was also wild 
with impatience, when to my great joy Dr. Finley made 
his appearance. 



SURRENDER OF WINNEBAGO PRISONERS. 351 

" Where is my husband ?" cried I. 

" Od his way home, madam, safe and sound. He will 
probably be here to-morrow." He then gave me an ac- 
count of the ravages the cholera was making among the 
troops, which were indeed severe, although less so than 
rumor had at first proclaimed. 

Notwithstanding the doctor's assurance of his safety, 
my husband was seized with cholera on his journey. By 
the kind care of Paquette and the plentiful use of chicken- 
broth which the poor woman at whose cabin he stopped 
administered to him, he soon recovered, and reached his 
home in safety, having taken Prairie du Chien in his 
route and brought his mother with him again to her 
home. 

The Indians had consented to the sale of their beautiful 
domain. Indeed, there is no alternative in such cases. 
If they persist in retaining them, and become surrounded 
and hemmed in by the white settlers, their situation is 
more deplorable than if they surrendered their homes 
altogether. This they are aware of, and therefore, as a 
general thing, they give up their lands at the proposal of 
Government, and only take care to make the best bargain 
they can for themselves. In this instance they were to 
receive as an equivalent a tract of land* extending to the 
interior of Iowa, and an additional sum of ten thousand 
dollars annually. 

One of the stipulations of the treaty was, the surrender 
by the Winnebagoes of certain individuals of their tribe 
accused of having participated with the Sauks in some of 
the murders on the frontier, in order that they might be 
tried by our laws, and acquitted or punished as the case 
might be. 

* A belt of land termed the Neutral Ground of the different opposing 
Bationa. 



352 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Wau-kaun-kah (the Little Snake) voluntarily gave him- 
self as a hostage until the delivery of the suspected per- 
sons. He was accordingly received by the Agent, and 
marched over and placed in confinement at the Fort until 
the seven accused should appear to redeem him. 

It was a work of some little time on the part of the 
nation to persuade these suspected individuals to place 
themselves in the hands of the whites, that they might 
receive justice according to the laws of the latter. The 
trial of Red Bird, and his languishing death in prison, 
were still fresh in their memories, and it needed a good 
deal of resolution, as well as a strong conviction of con- 
scious innocence, to brace them up to such a step. 

It had to be brought about by arguments and persua- 
sions, for the nation would never have resorted to force to 
compel the fulfilment of their stipulation. 

In the mean time a solemn talk was held with the prin^ 
cipal chiefs assembled at the Agency. A great part of the 
nation were in the immediate neighborhood, in obedience 
to a notice sent by Governor Porter, who, in virtue of his 
office of Governor of Michigan Territory, was also Super- 
intendent of the Northwest Division of the Indians. In- 
stead of calling upon the Agent to take charge of the 
annuity money, as had heretofore been the custom, the 
Governor had announced his intention of bringing it him- 
self to Fort Winnebago and being present at the payment. 
The time appointed had now arrived, and with it the main 
body of the Winnebagoes. 

Such of the Indians as had not attended the treaty at 
Rock Island and been instrumental in the cession of their 
country, were loud in their condemnation of the step, and 
their lamentations over it. Foremost among these was 
Wild-Cat, the Falstaff of Garlic Island and its vicinity. 
It was little wonder that he should shed bitter tears, as he 



SURRENDER OF WINNEBAGO PRISONERS. 353 

did, over the loss of his beautiful home on the blue waters 
of Winnebago Lake. 

" If he had not been accidentally stopped," he said, "on 
his way to the treaty, and detained until it was too late, 
he would never, never have permitted the bargain." 

His Father, who knew that a desperate frolic, into 
which Wild-Cat had been enticed by the way, was the 
cause of his failing to accompany his countrymen to Rock 
Island, replied, gravely,— 

" That he had heard of the chief's misfortune on this 
occasion. How that, in ascending the Fox River, a couple 
of kegs of whiskey had come floating down the stream, 
which, runniug foul of his canoe with great force, had 
injured it to such a degree that he had been obliged to 
stop several days at the Mee-kan, to repair damages." 

The shouts of laughter which greeted this explanation 
were so contagious that poor Wild-Cat himself was com- 
pelled to join in it, and treat his misfortune as a joke. 

The suspected Indians having engaged the services of 
Judge Doty to defend them on their future trial, notice 
was at length given that on a certain day they would be 
brought to the Portage and surrendered to their Father, 
to be by him transferred to the keeping of the military 
officer appointed to receive them. 

It was joyful news to poor Wau-kaun-kah, that the day 
of his release was at hand. Every time that we had been 
within the walls of the Fort we had been saluted by a 
call from him, as he kept his station at the guard-room 
window : 

"Do you hear anything of those Indians? When are 
they coming, that I may be let out?" 

We had endeavored to lighten his confinement by seeing 
that he was well supplied with food, and his Father and 
Paquette had paid him occasional visits; but, notwithstand- 

30* 



354 THE EARLY DAY FN THE NORTHWEST. 

ing these attentions and the kindness he had received at 
the Fort, his confinement was inexpressibly irksome. 

On the morning of a bright autumnal day the authori- 
ties were notified that the chiefs of the nation would pre- 
sent themselves at the Agency to deliver the suspected 
persons as prisoners to the Americans. 

At the hour of ten o'clock, as we looked out over the 
Portage road, we could descry a moving concourse of 
people, in which brilliant color, glittering arms, and, 
as they approached still nearer, certain white objects of 
unusual appearance could be distinguished. 

General Dodge, Major Plympton, and one or two other 
oflScers took their seats with Mr. Kinzie on the platform in 
front of the door of our mansion to receive them, while we 
stationed ourselves at the window where we could both 
see and hear. 

The procession wound up the hill, and approached, 
marching slowly towards us. It was a grand and solemn 
sight. First came some of the principal chiefs in their 
most brilliant array. Next, the prisoners, all habited in 
white cotton, in token of their innocence, with girdles 
round their waists. The music of the drum and the shee- 
shee-qua accompanied their death-song, which they were 
chaunting. They wore no paint, no ornaments — their 
countenances were grave and thoughtful. It might well 
be a serious moment to them, for they knew but little of 
the customs of the whites, and that little was not such as 
to inspire cheerfulness. Only their Father's assurance 
that they should receive strict justice, would probably 
have induced them to comply with the engagements of the 
nation in this manner. 

The remainder of the procession was made up of a 
long train of Winnebagoes, all decked out in their holiday 
garb. 



SURRENDER OF WINNEBAGO PRISONERS. 355 

The chiefs approached and shook hands with the gen- 
tlemen, who stood ready to receive their greeting. Then 
the prisoners came forward, and went through the same 
salutation with the officers. When they offered their 
hands to their Father, he declined. 

" No," said he. " You have come here accused of great 
crimes — of having assisted in taking the lives of some of 
the defenceless settlers. When you have been tried by 
the laws of the land, and been proved innocent, then 
your Father will give you his hand." 

They looked still more serious at this address, as if they 
thought it indicated that their Father, too, believed them 
guilty, and stepping back a little, they seated themselves, 
without speaking, in a row upon the ground, facing their 
Father and the officers. The other Indians all took seats 
in a circle around them, except the one-eyed chief, Kau- 
ray-kau-say-kah (the White Crow), who had been deputed 
to deliver the prisoners to the Agent. 

He made a speech in which he set forth that, " although 
asserting their innocence of the charges preferred against 
them, his countrymen were quite willing to be tried by 
the laws of white men. He hoped they would not be de- 
tained long, but that the matter would be investigated 
soon, and that they would come out of it clear and 
white." 

In reply he was assured that all things would be con- 
ducted fairly and impartially, exactly as if the accused 
were white men, and the hope was added that they would 
be found to have been good and true citizens, and peaceful 
children of their Great Father, the President. 

When this was over. White Crow requested permission 
to transfer the medal he had received as a mark of friend- 
ship from the President, to his son, who stood beside him, 
and who had been chosen by the nation to fill his place as 



356 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

chief, an office he was desirous of resigning. The speeches 
made upon this occasion, as interpreted by Paquette, the 
modest demeanor of the young man, and the dignified yet 
feeling manner of the father throughout, made the whole 
ceremony highly impressive ; and when the latter took the 
medal from his neck and hung it around that of his son, 
addressing him a few appropriate words, I think no one 
could have witnessed the scene unmoved. 

I had watched the countenances of the prisoners as they 
sat on the ground before me, while all these ceremonies 
were going forward. With one exception they were open, 
calm, and expressive of conscious innocence. Of that one 
I could not but admit there might be reasonable doubts. 
One was remarkably fine-looking — another was a boy of 
certainly not more than seventeen, and during the transfer 
of the medal he looked from one to the other, and listened 
to what was uttered by the speakers, with an air and ex- 
pression of even childlike interest and satisfaction. 

Our hearts felt sad for them as, the ceremonies finished, 
they were conducted by a file of soldiers and committed 
to the dungeon of the guard-house until such time as 
they should be summoned to attend the court appointed 
to try their cause. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

ESCAPE OF THE PRISONERS. 

The Indians did not disperse after the ceremonies of 
the surrender had been gone through. They continued 
still in the vicinity of the Portage, In the constant expecta- 
tion of the arrival of the annuity money, which they had 



ESCAPE OF THE PRISONERS. 357 

been summoned there to receive. But the time for setting 
out on his journey to bring it was postponed by Governor 
Porter from week to week. Had he foreseen all the evils 
this delay was to occasion, he would, possibly, have been 
more prompt in fulfilling his appointment. 

Many causes conspired to make an early payment de- 
sirable. In the first place, the Winnebagoes, having been 
driven from their homes by their anxiety to avoid all ap- 
pearance of fraternizing with the Sauks, had made this 
year no gardens nor corn-fields They had, therefore, 
no provisions on hand, either for present use or for 
their winter's consumption, except their scanty supplies 
of wild rice. While this was disappearing during their 
protracted detention at the Portage, they were running 
the risk of leaving themselves quite unprovided with food, 
in case of a bad hunting-season during the winter and 
spring. 

In the next place, the rations which the Agent had been 
accustomed, by the permission of Government, to deal out 
occasionally to them, were now cut off by a scarcity in 
the Commissary's department. The frequent levies of 
the militia during the summer campaign, and the reinforce- 
ment of the garrison by the troops from Fort Howard, had 
drawn so largely on the stores at this post that there 
was necessity for the most rigid economy in the issuing of 
supplies. 

Foreseeing this state of things, Mr. Kinzie, as soon as 
the war was at an end, commissioned Mr. Kercheval, then 
sutler at Fort Howard, to procure him a couple of boat- 
loads of corn, to be distributed among the Indians. Un- 
fortunately, there was no corn to be obtained from Michi- 
gan ; it was necessary to bring it from Ohio, and by the 
time it at length reached Green Bay (for in those days 
business was never done in a hurry) the navigation of the 



358 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Fox River had closed, and it was detained there, to be 
brought up the following spring. 

As day after day wore on and " the silver" did not 
make its appearance, the Indians were advised by their 
Father to disperse to their hunting-grounds to procure 
food, with the promise that they should be summoned 
immediately on the arrival of G-overnor Porter ; and this 
advice they followed. 

While they had been in our neighborhood, they had 
more than once asked permission to dance the scalp-dmice 
before our door. This is the most frightful, heart-curdling 
exhibition that can possibly be imagined. The scalps are 
stretched on little hoops, or frames, and carried on the end 
of slender poles. These are brandished about in the course 
of the dance, with cries, shouts, and furious gestures. The 
women, who commence as spectators, becoming excited 
with the scene and the music which their own discordant 
notes help to make more deafening, rush in, seize the scalps 
from the hands of the owners, and toss them frantically 
about, with the screams and yells of demons. I have seen 
as many as forty or fifty scalps figuring in one dance. 
Upon one occasion one was borne by an Indian who ap- 
proached quite near me, and I shuddered as I observed 
the long, fair hair, evidently that of a woman. Another 
Indian had the skin of a human hand, stretched and pre- 
pared with as much care as if it had been some costly 
jewel. When these dances occurred, as they sometimes did, 
by moonlight, they were peculiarly horrid and revolting. 



Amid so many events of a painful character there were 
not wanting occasionally some that bordered on the ludi- 
crous. 

One evening, while sitting at tea, we were alarmed by 



ESCAPE OF THE PRISONERS. 359 

the sound of guns firing in the direction of the Wisconsin. 
All started up, and prepared, instinctively, for flight to the 
garrison. As we left the house we found the whole blufif 
and the meadow below in commotion, — Indians running 
with their guns and spears across their shoulders to the 
scene of alarm — squaws and children standing in front of 
their lodges and looking anxiously in the direction of the 
unusual and unaccountable sounds — groups of French 
and half-breeds, like ourselves, fleeing to gain the bridge 
and place themselves within the pickets so lately erected. 

As one company of Indians passed us hurriedly, some 
weapon carelessly carried hit one of our party on the side 
of the head. " Oh I" shrieked she, " I am killed ! an Indian 
has tomahawked me 1" and she was only reassured by find- 
ing she could still run as fast as the best of us. 

When we reached the parade-ground, within the Fort, 
we could not help laughing at the grotesque appearance 
we presented. Some without hats or shawls — others 
with packages of valuables hastily secured at the moment 
— one with her piece of bread-and-butter in hand, which 
she had not had the presence of mind to lay aside when 
she took to flight. 

The alarm was, in the end, found to have proceeded 
from a party of Winnebagoes from one of the Barribault 
villages, who, being about to leave their home for a period, 
were going through the ceremony of burying the scalps 
which they and their fathers had taken. 

Like the military funerals among civilized nations, their 
solemnities were closed on this occasion by the discharge 
of several volleys over the grave of their trophies. 



At length, about the beginning of November, two 
months after the time appointed, Governor Porter, accom- 



360 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

panied by Major Forsyth and Mr. Kercheval, arrived 
with the annuity money. The Indians were again assem- 
bled, the payment was made, and having supplied them- 
selves with a larger quantity of ammunition than usual, — 
for they saw the necessity of a good hunt to remedy past 
and present deficiencies, — they set off for their wintering 
grounds. 

We were, ourselves, about changing our quarters, to 
our no small satisfaction. Notwithstanding the Indian 
disturbances, the new Agency House (permission to build 
which had, after much delay, been accorded by Govern- 
ment) had been going steadily on, and soon after the 
departure of the Governor and his party, we took pos- 
session of it. 

We had been settled but a few weeks, when one morn- 
ing Lieutenant Davies appeared just as we were sitting 
down to breakfast, with a face full of consternation. '' The 
Indian prisoners had escaped from the black-hole/ The 
commanding officer, Colonel Cutler, had sent for Mr. Kin- 
zie to come over to the Fort and counsel with him what 
was to be done." 

The prisoners had probably commenced their opera- 
tions very soon after being placed in the black-hole, a 
dungeon in the basement of the guard-house. They ob- 
served that their meals were brought regularly, three times 
a day, and that in the intervals they were left entirely 
to themselves. With their knives they commenced exca- 
vating an opening, the earth from which, as it was with- 
drawn, they spread about on the floor of their prison. A 
blanket was placed over the hole, and one of the company 
was always seated upon it, before the regular time for the 
soldier who had charge of them to make his appearance. 
When the periodical visit was made, the Indians were 
always observed to be seated, smoking in the most orderly 



ESCAPE OF THE PRISONERS. 361 

and quiet manner. There was never anything in their 
appearance to excite suspicion. 

The prisoners had never read the memoirs of Baron 
Trenck, but they had watched the proceedings of the 
badgers ; so, profiting by their example, they worked on, 
shaping the opening spirally, until, in about six weeks, 
they came out to the open air beyond the walls of the 
Fort. 

That they might be as little encumbered as possible in 
their flight, they left their blankets behind them, and 
although it was bitter December weather, they took to 
the woods and prairies with only their calico shirts and 
leggings for covering. We can readily believe that hope 
and exultation kept them comfortably warm until they 
reached an asylum among their friends. 

It would be compromising our own reputation as loyal 
and patriotic citizens to tell of the secret rejoicing this 
news occasioned us. 

The question now was, how to get the fugitives back 
again. The Agent could promise no more than that he 
would communicate with the chiefs, and represent the 
wishes of the oflBcers that the prisoners should once more 
surrender themselves, and thus free those who had had 
the charge of them from the imputation of carelessness, 
which the Government would be very likely to throw upon 
them. 

When, according to their custom, many of the chiefs 
assembled at the Agency on New- Year's Day, their 
Father laid the subject before them. 

The Indians replied, that if they saw the young men 
they would tell them what the officers would like to have 
them do. They could, themselves, do nothing in the 
matter. They had fulfilled their engagement by bringing 
them once and putting them in the hands of the officers. 

31 



362 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

The Government had had them in its power once and 
could not keep them — it must now go and catch them itself. 

The Government, having had some experience the 
past summer in '' catching Indians," wisely concluded to 
drop the matter. 

About this time another event occurred which occa- 
sioned no small excitement in our little community. Robi- 
neau, the striker from the blacksmith establishment at 
Sugar Creek, near the Four Lakes, arrived one very cold 
day at the Agency. He had come to procure medical aid 
for Mata's eldest daughter, Sophy, who, while sliding on 
the lake, had fallen on the ice and been badly hurt. Her 
father was absent, having gone to Prairie du Chien to 
place his youngest daughter at school. Two or three days 
had elapsed since the accident had happened ; a high fever 
had set in, and the poor girl was in a state of great suffer- 
ing; it had therefore been thought best to send Robineau 
to us for advice and aid, leaving Turcotte and a friendly 
Indian woman from a neighboring lodge to take charge of 
poor Sophy. 

The commanding officer did not think it prudent, when 
the subject was laid before him, to permit the surgeon to 
leave the post, but he very cheerfully granted leave of ab- 
sence to Currie, the hospital steward, a young man who 
possessed some knowledge of medicine and surgery. 

As it was important that Sophy should have an ex- 
perienced nurse, we procured the services of Madame 
Bellair, the wife of the Frenchman who was generally 
employed as express to Chicago ; and, as an aid and com- 
panion, Agathe, a daughter of Day-kau-ray, who lived in 
Paquette's family, was added to the party. 

Of Agathe I shall have more to say hereafter. 

The weather was excessively cold when Robineau, 
Currie, and the two women set out for Sugar Creek, a 



ESCAPE OF THE PRISONERS. 363 

distance of about forty miles. We had provided them 
with a good store of rice, crackers, tea, and sugar, for the 
invalid, all of which, with their provisions for the way, 
were packed on the horse Robineau had ridden to the 
Portage. It was expected they would reach their place 
of destination on the second day. 

What, then, was our surprise to see Turcotte make his 
appearance on the fourth day after their departure, to 
inquire why Robineau had not returned with aid for poor 
Sophy! There was but one solution of the mystery. 
Robineau had guided them as ill as he had guided the 
boat at the Grande Chute the summer before, and, although 
he could not shipwreck them, he had undoubtedly lost 
them in the woods or prairies. One comfort was, that 
they could not well starve, for the rice and crackers would 
furnish them with several days' provisions, and with 
Agathe, who must be accustomed to this kind of life, 
they could not fail in time of finding Indians, and being 
brought back to the Portage. 

Still, day after day went on and we received no tidings 
of them. Turcotte returned to Sugar Creek with com- 
forts and prescriptions for Sophy, and Colonel Cutler sent 
out a party to hunt for the missing ones, among whom 
poor Currie, from his delicate constitution, was the object 
of our greatest commiseration. 

As the snow fell and the winds howled, we could em- 
ploy ourselves about nothing but walking from window to 
window, watching, in hopes of seeing some one appear in 
the distance. No Indians were at hand whom we could 
dispatch upon the search, and by the tenth day we had 
almost given up in despair. 

It was then that the joyful news was suddenly brought 
us, "They are found ! They are at the Fort I" A party 
of soldiers who had been exploring had encountered them 



364 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

at Hastings's Woods, twelve miles distant, slowly and 
feebly making their way back to the Portage. They 
knew they were on the right track, but had hardly strength 
to pursue it. 

Exhausted with cold and hunger, for their provisions 
had given out two days before, they had thought seriously 
of killing the horse and eating him. Nothing but Currie's 
inability to proceed on foot, and the dread of being com- 
pelled to leave him in the woods to perish, had deterred them. 

Agathe had from the first been convinced that they 
were on the wrong track, but Robineau, with his usual 
obstinacy, persevered in keeping it until it brought them 
to the Rock River, when he was obliged to acknowledge 
his error, and they commenced retracing their steps. 

Agathe, according to the custom of her people, had car- 
ried her hatchet with her, and thus they had always had 
a fire at night, and boughs to shelter them from the storms; 
otherwise they must inevitably have perished. 

There were two circumstances which aroused in us a 
stronger feeling even than that of sympathy. The first 
was, the miserable Robineau's having demanded of Currie, 
first, all his money, and afterwards his watch, as a con- 
dition of his bringing the party back into the right path, 
which he averred he knew perfectly well. 

The second was, Bellaire's giving his kind, excellent 
wife a hearty flogging " for going off," as he said, " on such 
a fool's errand." 

The latter culprit was out of our jurisdiction, but Mons. 
Robineau was discharged on the spot, and warned that he 
might think himself happy to escape a legal process for 
swindling. 

I am happy to say that Sophy Mata, in whose behalf 
all these sufierings had been endured, was quite recovered 
by the time her father returned from the Prairie. 



AGATHE—TOMAU. 365 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

AGATHE — TOMAH. 

Agathe was the daughter of an Indian who was dis- 
tinguished by the name of Rascal Day-kau-ray. Whether 
he merited the appellation must be determined hereafter. 
He was brother to the grand old chief of that name, but 
as unlike him as it is possible for those of the same blood 
to be. 

The Day-kau-rays were a very handsome family, and 
this daughter was remarkable for her fine personal endow- 
ments. A tall, well-developed form, a round, sweet face, 
and that peculiarly soft, melodious voice which belongs to 
the women of her people, would have attracted the attention 
of a stranger, while the pensive expression of her counte- 
nance irresistibly drew the hearts of all towards her, and 
prompted the wish to know more of her history. As I 
received it from her friend, Mrs. Paquette, it was indeed a 
touching one. 

A young officer at the Fort had seen her, and had set, 
I will not say his heart — it may be doubted if he had one 
— but his mind upon her. He applied to Paquette to 
negotiate what he called a marriage with her. I am sorry 
to say that Paquette was induced to enter into this scheme. 
He knew full well the sin of making false representations 
to the family of Agathe, and he knew the misery he was 
about to bring upon her. 

The poor girl had been betrothed to a young man of her 
own people, and, as is generally the case, the attachment 
on both sides was very strong. Among these simple 

31* 



366 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

people, who have few subjects of thought or speculation 
beyond the interests of their daily life, their affections and 
their animosities form the warp and woof of their char- 
acter. All their feelings are intense, from being concen- 
trated on so few objects. Family relations, particularly 
with the women, engross the whole amount of their sen- 
sibilities. 

The marriage connection is a sacred and indissoluble 
tie. I have read, in a recent report to the Historical 
Society of Wisconsin, that, in former times, a temporary 
marriage between a white man and a Menomonee woman 
was no uncommon occurrence, and that such an arrange- 
ment brought no scandal. I am afraid that if such cases 
were investigated, a good deal of deceit and misrepresenta- 
tion would be found to have been added to the other sins 
of the transaction ; and that the woman would be found 
to have been a victim, instead of a willing participant, in 
such a connection. 

At all events, no system of this kind exists among 
the Winnebagoes. The strictest sense of female pro- 
priety is a distinguishing trait among them. A woman 
who transgresses it is said to have " forgotten herself," 
and is sure to be cast off and "forgotten" by her 
friends. 

The marriage proposed between the young officer and 
the daughter of Day-kau-ray, was understood as intended 
to be true and lasting. The father would not have exposed 
himself to the contempt of his whole nation by selling his 
daughter to become the mistress of any man. The Day- 
kau-rays, as I have elsewhere said, were not a little proud 
of a remote cross of French blood which mingled with the 
aboriginal stream in their veins, and probably in acceding 
to the proposed connection the father of Agathe was as 
much influenced by what he considered the honor to be 



AOATHE—TOMAH. 367 

derived as by the amount of valuable presents which ac- 
companied the overtures made to him. 

Be that as it may, the poor girl was torn from her lover, 
and transferred from her father's lodge to the quarters of 
the young officer. 

There were no ladies in the garrison at that time. Had 
there been, such a step would hardly have been ventured. 
Far away in the wilderness, shut out from the salutary 
influences of religious and social cultivation, what wonder 
that the moral sense sometimes becomes blinded, and that 
the choice is made, " Evil, be thou my good I" 

The first step in wrong was followed by one still more 
aggravated in cruelty. The young officer left the post, as 
he said, on furlough, but he never 7'eturned. The news 
came after a time that he was married, and when he again 
joined his regiment it was at another post. 

There was a natural feeling in the strength of the 
" woe pronounced against him" by more tongues than 
one. "He will never," said my informant, "dare show 
himself in this country again ! Not an Indian who knows 
the Day-kau-rays but would take his life if he should meet 
him !" 

Every tie was broken for poor Agathe but that which 
bound her to her infant. She never returned to her 
father's lodge, for she felt that, being deserted, she was 
dishonored. Her sole ambition seemed to be to bring up 
her child like those of the whites. She attired it in the 
costume of the French children, with a dress of bright 
calico, and a cap of the same, trimmed with narrow black 
lace. It was a fine child, and the only time I ever saw a 
smile cross her face was when it was commended and 
caressed by some member of our family. 

Even this, her only source of happiness, poor Agathe 
was called upon to resign. During our absence at Green 



368 "THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Bay, while the Sauks were in the neighborhood, the child 
was taken violently ill. The house at Paquette's, which 
was the mother's home, was thronged with Indians, and 
of course there was much noise and disturbance. My 
husband had a place prepared for her under our roof, 
where she could be more quiet, and receive the attendance 
of the post physician. It was all in vain — nothing could 
save the little creature's life. The bitter agony of the 
mother, as she hung over the only treasure she possessed 
on earth, was described to me as truly heart-rending. 
When compelled to part with it, it seemed almost more 
than nature could bear. There were friends, not of her 
own nation or color, who strove to comfort her. Did the 
father ever send a thought or an inquiry after the fate of 
his child, or of the young being whose life he had ren- 
dered dark and desolate ? We will hope that he did — 
that he repented and asked pardon from above for the evil 
he had wrought. 

Agathe had been baptized by M. Mazzuchelli. Perhaps 
she may have acquired some religious knowledge which 
could bring her consolation in her sorrows, and compen- 
sate her for the hopes and joys so early blasted. 

She came, some months after the death of her child, in 
company with several of the half-breed w^omen of the 
neighborhood, to pay me a visit of respect and congratu- 
lation on the advent of the young Shaw-nee-aw-kee. When 
she looked at her "little brother," as he was called, and 
took his soft, tiny hand within her own, the tears stood in 
her eyes, and she spoke some little words of tenderness, 
which showed that her heart was full. I could scarcely 
refrain from mingling my tears with hers, as I thought on 
all the sorrow and desolation that one man's selfishness 
had occasioned. 



A OA THE— TO MA H. 369 

Early in February, 1833, my husband and Lieutenant 
Hunter, in company with one or two others, set off on a 
journey to Chicago. That place had become so much of a 
town (it contained perhaps fifty inhabitants) that it was 
necessary for the proprietors of " Kinzie's Addition" to 
lay out lots and open streets through their property. All 
this was accomplished during the visit in question. 

While they were upon the ground with a surveyor, the 
attention of my husband was drawn towards a very bright- 
looking boy in Indian costume, who went hopping along 
by the side of the assistant that carried the chain, mimick- 
ing him as in the course of his operations he cried, " Stick!" 
" stuck I" He inquired who the lad was, and, to his sur- 
prise, learned that he was the brother of the old family 
servants Yictoire, Genevieve, and Baptiste. Tomah, for 
that was his name, had never been arrayed in civilized 
costume ; he was in blanket and leggings, and had always 
lived in a wigwam. My husband inquired if he would 
like to go to Fort Winnebago with him and learn to be a 
white boy. The idea pleased him much, and, his mother 
having given her sanction to the arrangement, he was 
packed in a wagon, with the two gentlemen and their 
travelling gear, when they set forth on their return-journey. 

Tomah had been equipped in jacket and trousers, with 
the other articles of apparel necessary to his new sphere 
and character. They were near the Aux Plaines, and ap- 
proaching the residence of Glode (Claude) Laframboise, 
where Tomah knew he should meet acquaintances. He 
asked leave to get out of the wagon and walk a little 
way. When the gentlemen next saw him he was in full 
Pottowattamie costume : although it was bitter winter 
weather, he had put on his uncomfortable native garb 
rather than show himself to his old friends in a state of 
transformation. 



370 THE EARLY DAY TN THE NORTHWEST. 

On his arrival at Fort Winnebago, our first care was to 
furnish him with a complete wardrobe, which, having been 
placed in a box in his sleeping-apartment, was put under 
his charge. Words cannot express his delight as the valu- 
able possessions were confided to him. Every spare mo- 
ment was devoted to their contemplation. Now and then 
Tomah would be missing. He was invariably found seated 
by the side of his little trunk, folding and refolding his 
clothes, laying them now lengthwise, now crosswise, the 
happiest of mortals. 

Our next step was to teach him to be useful. Such 
little offices were assigned to him at first as might be sup- 
posed not altogether new to him, but we soon observed 
that when there was anything in the shape of work, Tomah 
slipped off to bed, even if it were before he had taken his 
supper. Some fish were given him one evening to scale ; 
it was just at dark; but Tom, according to custom, retired 
at once to bed. 

The cook came to inquire what was to be done. I was 
under the necessity of calling in my husband's aid as in- 
terpreter. He sent for Tomah. When he came into the 
parlor Mr. Kinzie said to him, in Pottowattamie, — • 

"There are some fish, Tomah, in the kitchen, and we 
want you to scale them." 

"Now?" exclaimed Tom, with an expression of amaze- 
ment. " It is very late." 

A young lady. Miss Rolette, who was visiting us, and 
who understood the language, could not refrain from burst- 
ing into a laugh at the simplicity with which the words 
were uttered, and we joined her in sympathy, at which 
Tom looked a little indignant; but when he understood 
that it was the white custom to scale the fish at night, and 
put salt and pepper on them, he was soon reconciled to do 
his duty in the matter. 



A GA THE— TO MA H. 3 •[ 1 

His next office was to lay the table. There was a best 
service of china, which was only used when we had com- 
pany, and a best set of teaspoons, which I kept in the 
drawer of a bureau in my own room above-stairs. I was 
in the habit of keeping this drawer locked, and putting the 
key under a small clock on the mantel-piece. The first 
time that I had shown Tomah how to arrange matters for 
visitors, I had brought the silver and put it on the table 
myself. 

Soon after, we were to have company to tea again, and 
I explained to Tomah that the best china must be used. 
What was my surprise, on going through the dining-room 
a short time after, to see not only the new china, but the 
"company silver" also, on the table! I requested our 
mother, who could speak with him, to inquire into the 
matter. 

Tomah said, very coolly, " He got the silver where it 
was kept." 

" Did he find the drawer open ?" 

" No — he opened it with a key." 

" Was the key in the drawer ?" 

" No — it was under that thing on the shelf." 

'' How did he know it was kept there ?" 

This was what Mr. Tomah declined telling. We could 
never ascertain whether he had watched my movements 
at any time. No one had ever seen him in that part 
of the house, and yet scarcely an article could be men- 
tioned of which Tomah did not know the whereabouts. 
If any one was puzzled to find a thing, it was always, — 

"Ask Tomah — he will tell you." And so in fact he 
did. 

He was a subject of much amusement to the young 
officers. We were to have a tea-party one evening — all 
the families and young officers from the Fort. To make 



372 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Tomah's appearance as professional as possible, we made 
him a white apron with long sleeves to put on while he 
was helping Mary and Josette to carry round tea — for I 
must acknowledge that Tomah's clothes were not kept in 
as nice order out of the trunk as in it. 

Tom was delighted with his new costume, as well as 
with the new employment. He acquitted himself to per- 
fection, for he had never any difficulty in imitating what 
he saw another do. After tea we had some music. As I 
was standing by the piano, at which one of the ladies was 
seated, Lieutenant Vancleve said to me, in a low tone, — 

"Look behind you a moment." 

I turned. There sat Ton! between two of the company, 
as stately as possible, with his white apron smoothed 
down, and his hands clasped before him, listening to the 
music, and on the best possible terms with himself and 
all around him. Julian and Edwin were hardly able to 
restrain their merriment, but they were afraid to do or say 
anything that would cause him to move before the com- 
pany had had a full enjoyment of the scene. It was voted 
unanimously that Tomah should be permitted to remain 
and enjoy the pleasures of society for one evening ; but, 
with characteristic restlessness, he got tired as soon as 
the music was over, and unceremoniously took his leave 
of the company. 



CONCLUSION. 373 



CHAPTER XXXVIII 

CONCLUSION. 

What we had long anticipated of the sufferings of the 
Indians began to manifest itself as the spring drew on. 
Its extent was first brought to our knowledge by those 
who came in little parties begging for food. 

As long as it was possible to issue occasional rations 
their Father continued to do so, but the supplies in the 
Commissary Department were now so much reduced that 
Colonel Cutler did not feel justified in authorizmg any- 
thing beyond a scanty relief, and this only in extreme 

cases. 

We had ourselves throughout the winter used the great- 
est economy with our own stores, that we might not ex- 
haust our slender stock of flour and meal before it could 
be replenished from "below." We had even purchased 
some sour flour which had been condemned by the com- 
missary, and had contrived, by a plentiful use of saleratus 
and a due proportion of potatoes, to make of it a very 
palatable kind of bread. But as we had continued to give 
to party after party, when they would come to us to repre- 
sent their famishing condition, the time at length arrived 
when we had nothing to give. 

The half-breed families of the neighborhood, who had, 
like ourselves, continued to share with the needy as long 
as their own stock lasted, were now obliged, of necessity, 
to refuse further assistance. These women often came to 
lament with us over the sad accounts that were brought 
from the wintering grounds. It had been a very open 

32 



374 T'itE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

winter. The snow had scarcely been enough at any time 
to permit the Indians to track the deer ; in fact, all the 
game had been driven off by the troops and war-parties 
scouring the country through the preceding summer. 

We heard of their dying by companies from mere inani- 
tion, and lying stretched in the road to the Portage, 
whither they were striving to drag their exhausted frames. 
Soup made of the bark of the slippery elm, or stewed 
acorns, were the only food that many had subsisted on for 
weeks. 

We had for a long time received our own food by daily 
rations from the garrison, for things had got to such a 
pass that there was no possibility of obtaining a barrel 
of flour at a time. After our meals were finished I always 
went into the pantry, and collecting carefully every re- 
maining particle of food set it aside, to be given to some 
of the wretched applicants by whom we were constantly 
thronged. 

One day as I was thus employed, a face appeared at the 
window with which I had once been familiar. It was the 
pretty daughter of the elder Day-kau-ray. She had for- 
merly visited us often, watching with great interest our 
employments — our sewing, our weeding and cultivating the 
garden, or our reading. Of the latter, I had many times 
endeavored to give her some idea, showing her the plates 
in the Family Bible, and doing my best to explain them 
to her, but of -late I had quite lost sight of her. Now, 
how changed, how wan she looked ! As I addressed her 
with my ordinary phrase, '' Tshah-ko-zhahV (What is it ?) 
she gave a sigh that was almost a sob. She did not beg, 
but her countenance spoke volumes. 

I took my dish and handed it to her, expecting to see her 
devour the contents eagerly; but no — she took it, and, 
making signs that she would soon return, walked away. 



CONCLUSION. 375 

When she brought it back, I was almost sure she had uot 
tasted a morsel herself. 



Oh I the boats — the boats with the corn ! Why did 
they not come ? We both wrote and sent to hasten them, 
but, alas ! everything and everybody moved so slowly in 
those unenterprising times I We could only feel sure that 
they would come when they were ready, and not a moment 
before. 

We were soon obliged to keep both doors and windows 
fast, to shut out the sight of misery we could not relieve. 
If a door were opened for the admission of a member of 
the family, some wretched mother would rush in, grasp 
the hand of my infant, and, placing that of her famishing 
child within it, tell us, pleadingly, that he was imploring 
" his little brother" for food. The stoutest man could not 
have beheld with dry eyes the heart-rending spectacle 
which often presented itself. It was in vain that we 
screened the lower portion of our windows with curtains. 
They would climb up on the outside, and tier upon tier of 
gaunt, wretched faces would peer in above, to watch us, 
and see if indeed we were as ill provided as we repre- 
sented ourselves. 

The noble old Day-kau-ray came one day, from the 
Barribault, to apprise us of the state of his village. More 
than forty of his people, he said, had now been for many 
days without food, save bark and roots. My husband 
accompanied him to the commanding officer to tell his 
story and ascertain if any amount of food could be ob- 
tained from that quarter. The result was, the promise of 
a small allowance of flour, sufficient to alleviate the crav- 
ings of his own family. 

When this was explained to the chief, he turned away. 



376 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

" No," he said, " if his people could not be relieved, he 
and his family would starve with them 1" And he refused, 
for those nearest and dearest to him, the proffered succor, 
until all could share alike. 

The announcement, at length, that " the boats were in 
sight," was a thrilling and most joyful sound. 

Hundreds of poor creatures were assembled on the bank, 
watching their arrival. Oh 1 how torturing was their slow 
approach, by the winding course of the river, through the 
extended prairie ! As the first boat touched the land, we, 
who were gazing on the scene with anxiety and impa- 
tience only equalled by that of the sufferers, could scarcely 
refrain from laughing, to see old Wild-Cat, who had some- 
what fallen off in his huge amount of flesh, seize "the 
Washington Woman" in his arms and hug and dance 
with her in the ecstasy of his delight. 

Their Father made a sign to them all to fall to work with 
their hatchets, which they had long held ready, and in an 
incredibly short time barrel after barrel of corn was broken 
open and emptied, while even the little children possessed 
themselves of pans and kettles full, and hastened to the 
fires that were blazing around to parch and cook that 
which they had seized. 

From this time forward, there was no more destitution. 
The present abundance was immediately followed by the 
arrival of supplies for the Commissary's Department ; and, 
refreshed and invigorated, our poor children departed once 
more to their villages, to make ready their crops for the 
ensuing season. 

In the course of the spring, we received a visit from 
the Rev. Mr. Kent and Mrs. Kent, of Galena This event 
is memorable, as being the first occasion on which the 
gospel, according to the Protestant faith, was preached at 
Fort Winnebago. The large parlor of the hospital was 



CONCLUSION. Stt 

fitted up for the service, and gladly did we each say to 
the other, " Let us go to the house of the Lord !" 

For nearly three years had we lived here without the 
blessing of a public service of praise and thanksgiving. 
We regarded this commencement as an omen of better 
times, and our little " sewing-society" worked with re- 
newed industry, to raise a fund which might be available 
hereafter in securing the permanent services of a mis- 
sionary. 



Not long after this, on a fine spring morning, as we 
were seated at breakfast, a party of Indians entered the 
parlor, and came to the door of the room where we were. 
Two of them passed through, and went out upon a small 
portico — the third remained standing in the door-way at 
which he had at first appeared. He was nearly opposite 
me, and as I raised my eyes, spite of his change of dress, 
and the paint with which he was covered, I at once recog- 
nized him. 

I continued to pour the coflfee, and, as I did so, I re- 
marked to my husband, " The one behind you, with 
whom you are speaking, is one of the escaped prisoners." 

Without turning his head, Mr. Kinzie continued to 
listen to all the directions they were giving him about the 
repairing of their guns, traps, etc., which they wished to 
leave with the blacksmith. As they went on, he care- 
lessly turned towards the parlor door, and replied to the 
one speaking to him. When he again addressed me, it 
was to say, — 

"You are right, but it is no affair of ours. We are 
none of us to look so as to give him notice that we suspect 
anything. They are undoubtedly innocent, and have suf- 
fered enough already." 

32* 



378 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Contrary to his usual custom, their Father did not ask 
their names, but wrote their directions, which he tied to 
their different implements, and then bade them go and 
deliver them themselves to M. Morrin. 

The rest of our circle were greatly pleased at the young 
fellow's audacity, and we quite longed to tell the officers 
that we could have caught one of their fugitives for them, 
if we had had a mind. 



The time had now come when we began to think seri- 
ously of leaving our pleasant home, and taking up our 
residence at Detroit, while making arrangements for a 
permanent settlement at Chicago. 

This intelligence, when communicated to our Winne- 
bago children, brought forth great lamentations and demon- 
strations of regret. From the surrounding country they 
came flocking in, to inquire into the truth of the tidings 
they had heard, and to petition earnestly that we would 
continue to live and die among them. 

Among them all, no one seemed so overwhelmed with 
affliction as Elizabeth, our poor Gut-Nose. When we first 
told her of our intention, she sat for hours in the same 
spot, wiping away the tears that would find their way 
down her cheeks, with the corner of the chintz shawl she 
wore pinned across her bosom. 

"■ No ! never, never, never shall I find such friends 
again," she would exclaim. " You will go away, and I 
shall be left here all alone.''^ 

Wild-Cat, too, the fat, jolly Wild-Cat, gave way to the 
most audible lamentations. 

" Oh, my little brother," he said to the baby, on the 
morning of our departure, when he had insisted on taking 



CONCLUSION. 379 

him and seating him on his fat, dirty knee, "you will 
never come back to see your poor brother again !" 

And, having taken an extra glass on the occasion, he 
wept like an infant. 

It was with sad hearts that on the morning of the 1st 
of July, 1833, we bade adieu to the long cortege which 
had followed us to the boat, now waiting to convey us to 
Green Bay, where we were to meet Governor Porter and 
Mr. Brush, and proceed, under their escort, to Detroit. 

When they had completed their tender farewells, they 
turned to accompany their Father across the Portage, on 
his route to Chicago ; and long after, we could see them 
winding along the road, and hear their loud lamentations 
at a parting which they foresaw would be forever. 



APPENDIX. 



As I have given throughout the Narrative of the Sauk 
War the impressions we received from our own observa- 
tion, or from information furnished us at the time, I think 
it but justice to Black Hawk and his party to insert, by 
way of Appendix, the following account, preserved among 
the manuscript records of the late Thomas Forsyth, Esq., 
of St. Louis, who, after residing among the Indians many 
years as a trader, was, until the year 1830, the Agent of 
the Sauks and Foxes. The manuscript was written in 
1832, while Black Hawk and his compatriots were in 
prison at Jeflferson Barracks. 

** The United States troops under the command of Major 
Stoddard arrived here* and took possession of this country 
in the month of February, 1804. In the spring of that 
year, a white person (a man or boy) was killed in Cuivro 
Settlement, by a Sauk Indian. Some time in the summer fol- 
lowing, a party of United States troops were sent up to the 
Sauk village on Rocky River, and a demand made of the 
Sauk chiefs for the murderer. The Sauk chiefs did not 
hesitate a moment, but delivered him up to the commander 
of the troops, who brought him down and delivered him 
over to the civil authority in this place (St. Louis). 

** Some time in the ensuing autumn some Sauk and 

* St. Louis, Mo. 

(381) 



382 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

Fox Indians came to this place, and had a conversation 
with General Harrison (then Governor of Indiana Terri- 
tory, and acting Governor of this State, then Territory of 
Louisiana) on the subject of liberating their relative, then 
in prison at this place for the above-mentioned murder. 

" Quash-quame, a Sauk chief, who was the head man 
of this party, has repeatedly said, 'Mr. Pierre Chouteau, 
Sen., came several times to my camp, offering that if I 
would sell the lands on the east side of the Mississippi 
River, Governor Harrison would liberate my relation 
(meaning the Sauk Indian then in prison as above re- 
lated), to which I at last agreed, and sold the lands from 
the mouth of the Illinois River up the Mississippi River 
as high as the mouth of Rocky River (now Rock River), 
and east to the ridge that divides the waters of the Mis- 
sissippi and Illinois Rivers; but I never sold any more 
lands.' Quash-quame also said to Governor Edwards, 
Governor Clarke, and Mr. Auguste Chouteau, Commis- 
sioners appointed to treat with the Chippewas, Ottawas, 
and Pottowattamies of Illinois River, in the summer of 
1816, for lands on the west side of Illinois River, — 

*' ' You white men may put on paper what you please, 
but again I tell you, I never sold any lands higher up the 
Mississippi than the mouth of Rocky River.' 

"In the treaty first mentioned, the line commences op- 
posite to the mouth of Gasconade River, and running in a 
direct line to the head-waters of Jefferson* River, thence 
down that river to the Mississippi River — thence up the 
Mississippi River to the mouth of the Ouisconsin River — 
thence up that river thirty-six miles — thence in a direct 
line to a little lake in Fox River of Illinois, down Fox 

* There is no such river in this country, therefore this treaty is null 
and void — of no effect in law or equity. Such veas the opinion of the late 
Governor Howard. (T. F.) 



APPENDIX. 383 

River to Illinois River, down Illinois River to its mouth — 
thence down the Mississippi River to the mouth of Mis- 
souri River — thence up that river to the place of begin- 
ning. See treaty dated at St. Louis, 4th November, 1804. 

"The Sauk and Fox nations were never consulted, nor 
had any hand in this treaty, nor knew anything about it. 
It was made and signed by two Sauk chiefs, one Fox 
chief and one warrior. 

" When the annuities were delivered to the Sauk and 
Fox nations of Indians, according to the treaty above re- 
ferred to (amounting to $1000 per annum), the Indians 
always thought they were presents (as the annuity for the 
first twenty years was always paid in goods, sent on from 
Georgetown, District of Columbia, and poor articles of 
merchandise they were, very often damaged and not suita- 
ble for Indians), until I, as their Agent, convinced them 
of the contrary, in the summer of 1818. When the Indians 
heard that the goods delivered to them were annuities for 
land sold by them to the United States, they were aston- 
ished, and refused to accept of the goods, denying that 
they ever sold the lands as stated by me, their Agent. 
The Black Hawk in particular, who was present at the 
time, made a great noise about this land, and would never 
receive any part of the annuities from that time forward. 
He always denied the authority of Quash-quame and others 
to sell any part of their lands, and told the Indians not to 
receive any presents or annuities from any American — other- 
wise their lands would be claimed at some future day. 

"As the United States do insist, and retain the lands 
according to the treaty of November 4, 1804, why do they 
not fulfil their part of that treaty as equity demands ? 

" The Sauk and Fox nations are allowed, according to 
that treaty, ' to live and hunt on the lands so ceded, as 
long as the aforesaid lands belong to the United States.' 



384 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

In the spring of the year 1827, about twelve or fifteen 
families of squatters arrived and took possession of the 
Sauk village, near the mouth of the Rocky River. They 
immediately commenced destroying the Indians' bark boats. 
Some were burned, others were torn to pieces, and when 
the Indians arrived at the village, and found fault with 
the destruction of their property, they were beaten and 
abused by the squatters. 

'* The Indians made complaint to me, as their Agent. 
I wrote to General Clarke,* stating to him from time to 
time what happened, and giving a minute detail of every- 
thing that passed between the whites (squatters) and the 
Indians. 

" The squatters insisted that the Indians should be re- 
moved from their village, saying that as soon as the land 
was brought into market they (the squatters) would buy 
it all. It became needless for me to show them the treaty, 
and the right the Indians had to remain on their lands. 
They tried every method to annoy the Indians, by shoot- 
ing their dogs, claiming their horses, complaining that the 
Indians' horses broke into their corn-fields — selling them 
whiskey for the most trifling articles, contrary to the 
wishes and request of the chiefs, particularly the Black 
Hawk, who both solicited and threatened them on the 
subject, but all to no purpose. 

" The President directed those lands to be sold at the 
Land OfiBce, in Springfield, Illinois. Accordingly, when 
the time came that they were to be offered for sale (in the 
autumn of 1828), there were about twenty families of 
squatters at, and in the vicinity of, the old Sauk village, 
most of whom attended the sale, and but one of them 
could purchase a quarter-section (if we except George 

* Superintendent of Indian Affairs at St. Louis. 



APPENDIX. 385 

Davenport, a trader who resides in Rocky Island). There- 
fore, all the land not sold, still belonged to the United 
States, and the Indians had still a right, by treaty, to hunt 
and live on those lands. This right, however, was not 
allowed them — they must move oflf. 

" In 1830, the principal chiefs, and others of the Sauk 
and Fox Indians who resided at the old village, near 
Rocky River, acquainted me that they would remove to 
their village on Ihoway River. These chiefs advised me 
to write to General Clarke, Superintendent of Indian 
Affairs at this place (St. Louis), to send up a few militia 
— that the Black Hawk and his followers would then see 
that everything was in earnest, and they would remove to 
the west side of the Mississippi, to their own lands. 

" The letter, as requested by the chiefs, was written and 
sent by me to General Clarke, but he did not think proper 
to answer it — therefore everything remained as formerly, 
and, as a matter of course, the Black Hawk and his party 
thought the whole matter of removing from the old village 
had blown over. 

"In the spring of 1831, the Black Hawk and his party 
were augmented by many Indians from Ihoway River. 
This augmentation of forces made the Black Hawk very 
proud, and he supposed nothing would be done about re- 
moving him and his party. 

*' General Gaines visited the Black Hawk and his party 
this season, with a force of regulars and militia, and com- 
pelled them to remove to the west side of the Mississippi 
River, on their own lands. 

** When the Black Hawk and party re-crossed to the 
east side of the Mississippi River in 1832, they numbered 
three hundred and sixty-eight men. They were hampered 
with many women and children, and had no intention to 
make war. When attacked by General Stillman's detach- 

33 



386 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

ment, they defended themselves like men ; and I would ask, 

who would not do so, likewise ? Thus the war commenced. 

********* 

" The Indians had been defeated, dispersed, and some 
of the principal chiefs are now iu prison and in chains, at 
Jefferson Barracks. ****** 

''It is very well known, by all who know the Black 
Hawk, that he has always been considered a friend to the 
whites. Often has he taken into his lodge the wearied 
white man, given him good food to eat, and a good blanket 
to sleep on before the fire. Many a good meal has the 
Prophet given to people travelling past his village, and 
very many stray horses has he recovered from the Indians 
and restored to their rightful owners, without asking any 
recompense whatever. ***** 

" What right have we to tell an}^ people, * You shall not 
cross the Mississippi River on any pretext whatever'? 
When the Sauk and Fox Indians wish to cross the Missis- 
sippi, to visit their relations among the Pottowattamies of 
Fox River, Illinois, they are prevented by us, because we 
have the power .'"' 

1 omit the old gentleman's occasional comments upon 
the powers that dictated, and the forces which carried on, 
the warfare of this unhappy summer. There is every 
reason to believe that had his suggestions been listened 
to, and had he continued the Agent of the Sauks and 
Foxes, a sad record might have been spared, — we should 
assuredly not have been called to chronicle the untimely 
fate of his successor, the unfortunate M. St. Vrain, who, 
a comparative stranger to his people, was murdered by 
them, in their exasperated fury, at Kellogg's Grove, soon 
after the commencement of the campaign. 



APPENDIX. 387 



II. 



It seems appropriate to notice in this place the subse- 
quent appearance before the public of one of the personages 
casually mentioned in the foregoing narrative. 

In the autumn of 1S64 we saw advertised for exhibition 
at Wood's Museum, Chicago, "The most remarkable in- 
stance of longevity on record — the venerable Joseph Crely, 
born on the 13th of September, 1726, and having conse- 
quently reached, at this date, the age of one hundred and 
THIRTY-NINE YEARS !'' Sundry particulars followed of his 
life and history, and, above all, of his recollections. 

"Well done for old Crely !'' said my husband, when he 
had gone through the long array. " Come, let us go over 
to Wood's Museum and renew our acquaintance with the 
venerable gentleman." 

I did not need a second invitation, for I was curious to 
witness the wonders which the whirligig of time had 
wrought with our old employe. 

We chose an early hour for our visit, that we might pay 
our respects to both him and the granddaughter who had 
him in charge, unembarrassed by the presence of strangers. 

In a large room on the second floor of the building, 
among cages of birds and animals, some stuffed, others still 
living, we perceived, seated by a window, a figure clad in 
bright cashmere dressing-gown and gay tasselled cap, tran- 
quilly smoking a tah-nee-hoo-rah, or long Indian pipe. His 
form was upright, his face florid, and less changed than 
might have been expected by the thirty-one years that had 
elapsed since we had last seen him. He was alone, and my 
husband addressed him at first in English : — 

"Good-morning, M. Crely. Do you remember me V 

He shook his head emphatically. " Je ne comprends 



388 THE EARLY DAT IN THE NORTHWEST. 

pas. Je ne me ressouviens de rien — je suis vieux, vieux 
— le treize Septembre, mil sept cent vingt-six, je suis De. 
Nod, noD," with a few gentle shakes of the head, " je ne 
puis rappeler rien — je suis vieux, vieux."* 

My husbaud changed his ioquiries to the patois which 
Cr^ly could Dot feign not to comprehend. 

" Where is your granddaughter ? I am acquainted with 
her, and would like to speak with her." 

The old man sprang up with the greatest alacrity, and, 
running to a door in the wooden partition which cut off a 
corner of the room and thus furnished an apartment for 
the ancient phenomenon, he rapped vigorously, and called, 
in accents quite unlike his former feeble, drawling tones, — 

" Ther^se, Th^rfese — il y a icite un monsieur qui voudrait 
vous voir."! 

The granddaughter presently made her appearance. 
She looked shyly at my husband from under her brows. 

" Do you know me, Therese ?" he asked. 

'* Yes, sir. It is Mr. Kinzie." 

"And do you know me also?" I said, approaching. 
She looked at me and shook her head. 

" No, I do not," she replied. 

" What, Th^rfese I Have you forgotten Madame John, 
who taught you to read — you and all the little girls at 
the Portage?" 

'* Oh, my heavens, Mrs. Kinzie 1 — but you have changed 
so!" 

" Yes, Therfese, I have grown old in all these years ; but 
I have not grown old quite so fast as your grandpapa here." 

There was a flash in her eye that told she felt my mean- 

* I do not understand. I remember nothing. I am very, very old — 
the thirteenth of September, 1726, I was born. No, no — I can recollect 
nothing. I am old, old. 

I Therese, there is a gentleman here who wishes to see you. 



APPENDIX. 389 

ing. She hung her head without speaking, while the color 
deepened over her countenance. 

'• Xow," said I, in French, to the grandfather, " vou re- 
member me '' 

He interrupted me with a protest, " Xon, non — ^je ne puis 
rappeler rien — je suis vieux, vieux — le treize Septembre, 
mil sept cent vingt-six. je suis ne a Detroit."' 

"And you recollect," I went on, not heeding his formula, 
'• how I came to the Portage a bride, and lived in the old 
cabins that the soldiers had occupied " 

"Ehb'an! oui — oui " 

''And how you helped make the garden for me — and 
how Plante and Manaigre finished the new house so nicely 
while Monsieur John was away for the silver — and how 
there was a feast after it was completed " 

*' Ah I oui, oui — pour le siir." 

" And where are all our people now ?'' I asked, turning 
to Ther^se. "Louis Frum dit Manaigre — is be living?" 

•• Oh, Madame Kinzie ! You remember that — Manaigre 
having two names?" 

"Yes, Tberese — I remember everything connected with 
those old times at the Portage. Who among our people 
there are living?" 

" Only Manaigre is left," she said. 

" Mais, mais, Ther^se," interposed the old man, " Ma- 
naigre's daughter Genevifeve is living." It was a comfort 
to find our visit of such miraculous benefit to his memory. 

" And the Puans — are any of them left ?" I asked. 

" Not more than ten or twelve, I think " Again her 

grandfather promptly contradicted her : — 

" Mais, mais, je compte b'an qu'il y en a quinze ou seize, 
Therese ;" and he went quite glibly over the names of such 
of his red friends as still hovered around their old home in 
that vicinity. 



390 THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

He was in the full tide of gay reminiscence, touching 
upon experiences and adventures of long ago, and recalling 
Indian and half-breed acquaintances of former days, when 
footsteps approached, and the entrance of eager, curious 
visitors suddenly reminded him of his appointed role. It 
was marvellous how instantaneously he subsided into the 
superannuated driveller who was to bear away the bell 
from Old Parr and all the Emperor Alexander's far-sought 
fossils. 

" Je suis vieux, vieux — ^I'an mil sept cent vingt-six — le 
treize Septembre, k Detroit — je ne puis rappeler rien." 

Not another phrase could " all the King's armies, or all 
the King's men," have extorted from him. 

So we left him to the admiring comments of the new- 
comers. I think it should be added, in extenuation of what 
would otherwise seem a gross imposture, that his grand- 
daughter was really ignorant of Crely's exact age — that 
he, being ever a gasconading fellow, was quite ready to 
personate that certain Joseph Cr^ly whose name appears 
on the baptismal records of the Church in Detroit of the 
year 1126. He was, moreover, pleased with the idea of 
being gaily dressed and going on a tour to see the world, 
and doubtless rejoiced, also, in the prospect of relieving his 
poor granddaughter of a part of the burden of his main- 
tenance. He was probably at this time about ninety-five 
years of age. There are those that knew him from 1830, 
who maintain that his age was a few years less ; but I take 
the estimate of Mr. Kinzie and H. L. Dousman, of Prairie 
du Chien, who set him down, in 1864, at about the age I 
have assigned to him. 



APPENDIX. 391 



III 



INDIAN GAMES. 

A very popular game or "tau-tay" with the Indians is 
the "Moc-ca-sin-nay" (moccasin game). It is not altogether 
unlike the English game of thimble rig. Four moccasins 
are placed upon the ground, in front of the performer who 
is seated with his opponent in front, and who holds in his 
hand a small rifle bullet. He commences to sing a little 
monotonous strain, "hoop-hah-hoop-hah-hoop-hah-hoopi" 
while he pats alternately on the ground with his hands, 
the latter against the moccasins, or against each other. 

Suddenly he stops with a "hoop!" and calls upon the 
company to say under which moccasin he has left the ball. 
As it has been concealed during the performance of his 
motions and flourishes between two of his fingers, it is 
rather a matter of guess-work to determine its hiding- 
place, and the game is consequently one in which there are 
great chances of gain or loss. 

It is, however, an exciting and very entertaining one. 
Instead of being played by only two competitors it is some- 
times played by three or four on a side, who hide the ball 
by turns, and the greatest number of fortunate guessers on 
a side determines the success of the game. 

Next to the horse-fights and card-playing, the favorite 
sports among the Indians are the different games of ball. 
Of these the game called by the French "la Crosse," but 
by the Chippewas, Pottowattamies and Ottawas, "pau-kee- 
to-way" is the principal. It is played in the following man- 
ner: A space from one to three miles is marked out, upon 
some level ground, at each extremity of which is planted a 
stake for a goal, while another is set in the center, for a 
starting point. The players then choose sides, if the game 
is to be played by a single tribe or band. If, however, it 
is a trial of skill between rival tribes, an equal number of 
the best players of each is selected. Each player is pro- 



392 INDIAN GAMES. 

vided with a "crosse" or "pau-kee-to-way," which is a 
slender stick about four feet in length, having at one end 
a shallow pocket of network fastened around a narrow rim 
of wood. With this he is to catch the ball when thrown 
and hurl it forward in the direction of the goal of his own 
party. The ball is about two and a half inches in diameter. 
It is made of deer skin stuffed with hair and frequently 
with a musket ball introduced to give it force and increase 
the momentum. 

When all is ready the band of players take their sta- 
tions by the starting-post in the center. The ball is then 
thrown into the air and it is who can catch it in his 
"crosse" and send it in the direction of his own goal. It is 
seldom permitted to fall to the ground. Amid pushing, 
jostling, whooping, some happy player seizes it, shakes it 
in his "crosse" for a moment in triumph, and hurls it, per- 
haps in a direction the reverse of that in which all have 
until now been struggling forward. The object of each 
party is to send the ball beyond the opponents' goal! That 
once accomplished, the game is won. 

The squaws have a game of ball called "Pus-ko-way." 
It is played with two balls, attached by a cord of about 
eight inches in length, and these balls, instead of being 
round, are somewhat elliptical in form — they are called 
"pus-kan-ween." The women use a stick without the raquet 
of net work — the style of the game is similar to that of the 
"pan-kan-to-way," but the course of shorter extent, and 
something of additional amusement is afforded by the 
unusual manner in which the players stoop to gather up 
the balls as they fall, and the propensity of their "matche 
cotees" (which are seldom confined other than by lapping 
over in front) to fly back like the attire of the goddess 
Diana when vigorously engaged in the chase. 

Another game of the Indian women is called "Co-say- 
keen," or the Bowl. Two women, or perhaps four, two on 
each side, play at it. One chosen by the lot commences 
holding the bowl in which are placed a number of circular 
convex pieces of bone, of about three-fourths of an inch in 
diameter. They are nicely formed and polished and are 



APPENDIX. 393 

painted red or black on one side, while the other retains 
its natural color. They are called "puk-kay-sun." Each 
individual, or pair chooses her color. The one holding the 
bowl places the pieces within it, and with a dextrous 
movement tosses them in such a way that those of her 
chosen color may fall uppermost. 

Then one of the opposite side takes it and repeats the 
operation. The game is fixed at a certain number, and in 
this, as in many other games, the tally is kept by small 
sticks. The women gamble as enthusiastically as the men, 
staking their most valued trinkets on the chances of the 
game. 



A NOTE, 



In compliance with the suggestion that some details ot 
the life of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Kinzie should accompany 
this third edition of "Waubun," the following brief sketch 
has been prepared: 

Juliette Augusta Magill was born in Middletown, Conn., 
on the 11th of September, 1806. Her father, Mr. Arthur 
William Magill, was a prominent banker of that city; her 
mother was Mrs. Frances Wolcott Homans, the widow of 
Captain Thomas Homans, and a great-granddaughter of 
Governor Roger Wolcott. 

Juliette Magill doubtless owed many of the character- 
istics which combined to make her a very remarkable 
woman, from these New England ancestors, who were prom- 
inent in its early history. Prom such men as Captain Job 
Drake, Colonel Samuel Partridge, Mr. Timothy Dwight, the 
Hon. Daniel Clark, the Hon. John Cushing and Governor 
Roger Wolcott she inherited the courage, the perseverance, 
the brilliant wit, the strong good sense and personal attrac- 
tiveness for which she became so noted, and which made 
her a social power in Chicago for nearly forty years. 

Her early life was spent in her native town, where her 
education, which was thorough, was conducted under the 
supervision of her mother— a woman of remarkable men- 
tal powers and great cultivation— while her course of read- 
ing was directed by her uncle. Dr. Alexander Wolcott, Jr. 
It was chiefly to the wise judgment and careful training 
of this relative that Juliette Magill owed the uncommon 
scope of her knowledge of books and her fine literary taste. 
At the age of fifteen she was sent to a boarding school 
at New Haven, and from thence to Miss Willard's seminary 
in Troy, N. Y. About this time Mr. Magill met with severe 
pecuniary reverses, necessitating Juliette's return from 

(a) 



b THE EARLY DAY IN THE N0RTHWE8T. 

school before the close of the first year. The family moved 
to Fishkill-on-the-Hudson, where Mr. Magill had invested 
what little property remained to him in some woolen mills. 
It was here that she met the quaint old Dutch characters 
depicted so graphically in her story of "Walter Ogleby." 
Her studies were, however, by no means given up on her 
return from school. During the next two years she pre- 
pared two of her brothers for college, coaching them espe- 
cially in Latin. French she spoke fluently, and she read 
Spanish and Italian with ease. In later years, in Chicago, 
she took up German, which she read, wrote and spoke with 
facility. She was an excellent musician, playing both piano 
and organ. She painted in water colors, and sketched from 
nature rapidly and accurately. All the illustrations in 
"Waubun" are from views she took on the spot. 

Like all well-bred and carefully trained New England 
girls, she was an accomplished needlewoman, and could cut 
out and make a suit of gentleman's clothes as well as any 
tailor, while her embroidery was as exquisite as that of the 
French nuns from whom she learned the art. In combina- 
tion with these accomplishments — I had almost said in 
spite of them — she was an admirable housekeeper. What 
she did not know about cookery was not worth knowing. 
Her recipes for jellies, cakes, cordials, etc., were always in 
great demand, and the combination of literary taste and 
practical housewifery, though novel, was in her case emi- 
nently successful, as all who enjoyed her conversation and 
hospitality could testify. 

Mr. John H. Kinzie's life from his earliest years was 
intimately connected with the history of the Northwest. 
His mother's maiden name was Eleanor Lytle. At the 
time of her marriage to Mr. Kinzie she was a widow with 
one little daughter. Her first husband was Major Mc- 
Killip, an officer in the British Army. Her daughter, 
Margaret McKillip, married Lieutenant Helm of the U. S. 
Army. 

Mr. Kinzie married Mrs. McKillip at Amherstberg, Can- 
ada, in 1800. Their first son, John Harris Kinzie, was born 



A NOTE. C 

at Sandwich, Upper Canada, July ?th, 1803. It was not by 
design that his birthplace was in the British dominions, 
for his mother was patriotic beyond most of her sex, but 
having crossed the Detroit River to pass the day with her 
sister, Mrs. William Forsyth, it so happened that her eldest 
son drew his first breath on foreign soil. While still an 
infant he was carried in an Indian cradle on the shoulders 
of a French "engage" to a place then called "Pare aux 
Vaches," but now the town of Bertrand, near Niles, on the 
St. Joseph River. His father about this time purchased the 
trading establishment of a M. Le Mai at Chicago. He did 
not remove his family there, however, until the command 
of U. S. troops came in the following summer (1804) to con- 
struct and occupy Fort Dearborn. Children at these remote 
posts had at that day no advantages of education. Robert 
Forsyth, a cousin, who was then a member of Mr. Kinzie's 
family, undertook to teach young John to read, and a dis- 
charged soldier later on was engaged to instruct himself 
and sisters, along with the officers' children. His best 
friend, in these days, was Washington Whistler, who in 
after years became famous as a civil engineer, and who 
died in the service of the Emperor of Russia. He was the 
«on of the commanding officer who built Fort Dearborn. 

At the time of the massacre Colonel Kinzie was nine 
years old. Of course he preserved a distinct recollection of 
all the particulars that came under his observation; the 
discipline of those thrilling events doubtless helped to form 
in him that fearlessness and self-control of character for 
which he was noted in after years. 

The Kinzie family took refuge after the massacre at 
Pare aux Vaches, whence they returned to Chicago in 1816. 

In the year 1818, when he was but fifteen years of age, 
he was taken to Mackinac by his father and indentured to 
the American Fur Company, being the especial protege of 
two old friends of the family, Mr. Ramsey Crooks and Mr. 
Robert Stewart. He lived in the family of the latter. His 
days during the five years of his engagement with the 
company were passed from five o'clock in the morning till 
dusk in the warehouses, or in superintending the numerous 



d THE EARLY DAY IN THE N0RTHWE8T. 

"engages" and "voyageurs," making up outfits for the 
Indian trade or in receiving and invoicing those which 
arrived. In the evenings he read aloud to his kind excel- 
lent friend Mrs. Stewart, who was unwearied in her efforts 
to supply the deficiencies which his unsettled and eventful 
life had made inevitable. To her explanations and judi- 
cious criticisms upon the books she put into his hands and 
to her patience in imparting knowledge from the treasures 
of her well-stored mind he was indebted for the ambition 
which surmounted early disadvantages and made him what 
his friends and society knew him. 

In 1824, he was transferred from Mackinac to Prairie du 
Chien. While there he learned to speak Winnebago (which 
no white man before him had succeeded in doing), and he 
wrote a grammar of the language, which, after his death, 
was presented to the Chicago Historical Society. Mr. Kin- 
zie at this time received an invitation from Gen. Lewis 
Cass, then Governor of Michigan, to become his private 
secretary. He accepted the appointment and went to 
Detroit, where he became a member of the Governor's fam- 
ily. A part of the time he was stationed near Sandusky, 
among the Wyandot and Huron Indians, whose language 
he learned, compiling a catalogue or grammar of it, as he 
had already done of the Winnebago. The traditions, 
legends and notices of the manners and customs of these 
people were all placed in the hands of his chief, and formed 
the basis of that famous article in the North American 
Review, which laid the foundation of General Cass' liter- 
ary reputation. 

Mr. Kinzie remained with General Cass until he received 
the appointment of Government Agent for the upper bands 
^f the Winnebago Indians, in 1829, when he went to Fort 
Winnebago, near Portage City, making it his headquarters. 

While residing in Chicago as Government Agent for the 
Indians, Dr. Alexander Wolcott, Jr., had married Mr. Kin- 
zie's eldest sister. On one of his visits to his Boston home 
he was accompanied by his brother-in-law. Juliette Magill 
happened to be staying with her grandparents at the same 
time, and thus the young people met. It was a case of 



A NOTE. . e 

"love at first sight." They were married on the 9th of 
August, 1827. 

Mr. Kinzie's influence with the Indians, like that of his 
father, was great and far-reaching, and enabled him to 
render effective service to the Government in many ways, 
more especially in holding back the Winnebagoes from join- 
ing in the Black Hawk war. They had unbounded faith in 
his integrity and just dealing, while his success in all their 
athletic games commanded their admiration. He was 
especially noted for his skill at "La Crosse," and had beaten 
the swiftest runners of the Menomenees and Winnebagoes 
at foot-races. He spoke no less than thirteen different 
Indian languages. Until the day of his death it was to him 
that the various deputations came on their way to inter- 
view their "Great Father" in Washington, in order that 
Shaw-nee-aw-kee,* as they called Mr. Kinzie, might give 
them the benefit of his advice, make out their petitions 
properly, and arrange their transportation with free passes. 
It was no uncommon thing for a dozen or more Indians to 
be camped out on the grass in Mr. Kinzie's garden, smok- 
ing their pipes, or playing their favorite gambling game of 
"moccasin." (See description of Indian games in Appen- 
dix III.) 

In 1834, the Kinzies returned to Chicago, with their lit- 
tle son Wolcott, and in that same year Mr. Kinzie and Mr. 
George W. Dole furnished the money to build St. James' 
Church, and Mr. Robert Kinzie donated the lot. The Rev. 
Isaac Hallam was called as rector. There were at this date 
but five communicants, viz.: Mr. and Mrs. John Kinzie, 
Mr. and Mrs. Dole and Mrs. Magill. 

In 1835, the Illinois Legislature appointed a Board of 
Trustees for the "Village of Chicago," of which Mr. Kinzie 
was President. In 1836, he built the brick house on the 
corner of Cass and Michigan streets, in which they subse- 
quently lived. 

In 1838, little Wolcott Kinzie met with a sudden and 



♦"The Silver-man,' 



f THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

tragic death. While playing with a party of other boys in 
an empty house a couple of blocks from home he found a 
bottle of corrosive sublimate on the hearth. He picked it 
up and took a drink of the contents. The agony was instan- 
taneous. He rushed home, while all his little companions 
fled in dismay. Although three physicians were immediately 
summoned it was impossible to save his life. Mr, Kinzie 
was absent at Prairie du Chien and did not hear of his loss 
until he returned, to find his boy dead and buried. 

Besides their own seven children, Mr. and Mrs. Kinzie 
adopted seven or eight nephews and nieces and cousins. 
Among these were Mrs. Joseph N. Balestier (grandmother 
of Mrs. Rudyard Kipling), Mrs. Mark Skinner of Chicago, 
Mrs. Samuel Barstow of Detroit, Mrs. Anne Meldrim Ham- 
ilton, Henry Wolcott, Edwin Helm and the late Julian 
Magill. 

With all these young people in the family there was 
plenty of merry-making, and frequent and gay were the 
entertainments. The music for the dancing was furnished 
by Mrs. Kinzie, who presided at the piano, accompanied by 
Mr. Kinzie on the violin. It is safe to say no modern band 
ever sent forth more inspiring strains. Occasionally, by 
way of variety, Mr. Kinzie would steal away, array himself 
in full Indian costume, and coming with a bound, and a 
"How, — How, — How" into the drawing-room, would execute 
an Indian war-dance, — to the delight of the young people 
and the terror of the nervous elderly guests. 

Every one who came to Chicago brought letters of intro- 
duction to the Kinzies. Their house was the headquarters 
and the rendezvous of all officers of the Government, all 
the cultivated and intelligent people of our own and of for- 
eign lands. Their hospitality, as bounteous as the winds, 
as beautiful as the waters of Lake Michigan, captivated the 
hearts and won the commendation of Prederica Bremer, 
Miss Martineau, Captain Marryatt, Charles Lever, poor 
Charles Fenno Hoffman, Mrs. Frances Kemble and many 
other eminent authors, artists and travelers. 

The summers of 1844-45 Mr. Kinzie spent with a party 
of mining experts, looking into the mineral deposits of 



A NOTE. g 

Lake Superior, He located the famous Ontonagen Mine, of 
which C. K. Green, George C. Bates and Mr, Kinzie were 
owners. 

In 1848 President Taylor appointed Mr. Kinzie Registrar 
of the Land Office, and on the opening of the Illinois and 
Michigan Canal he was made Canal Collector, holding that 
office until he received his appointment as Paymaster in 
the Army in 1861. 

The cholera raged in Chicago in 1850-51. Little Frank 
Kinzie was one of its earliest victims. There were no 
trained nurses in those days, and the only assistance to be 
had in cases of illness was through the voluntary aid of 
friends and neighbors. In spite of the danger of infection, 
Mr. and Mrs. Kinzie devoted all their time to nursing the 
sick, and kept the hospital supplied daily with huge cal- 
drons of broth. This charitable work they continued dur- 
ing the two summers of the epidemic. In the midst of a 
very busy life, Mrs. Kinzie found time for an immense 
amount of charitable and philanthropic work. Her liber- 
ality, her practical good sense, and her powers of organiza- 
tion made her a leader in such societies. She took an 
active part in the founding and equipping of that splendid 
institution, "St. Luke's Hospital," Chicago, and her inter- 
est in it terminated only with her life. 

Mrs. Kinzie's first literary work was the account of the 
Massacre of 1812. She wrote this at the dictation of Mr. 
Kinzie's mother, and of his sister, Mrs. Helm, both of whom 
were eye-witnesses of all the facts they narrated. Mrs. 
Helm, who accompanied her husband. Lieutenant Helm, 
when the troops marched out of Fort Dearborn on that fate- 
ful day, was a participant in the fight. In view of some of 
the modern attempts to re-write the story of the Massacre, 
and to characterize Mrs. Kinzie's account as "one which 
reads like a romance and was meant so to be read," it is 
most fortunate that the simple and graphic statements of 
the facts should have been given to posterity by actual eye- 
witnesses whose veracity was beyond question. 

The story of the Massacre is embodied in "Waubun," 
the first edition of which was published by Derby & Jackson 



h THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

(New York) in 1856. Their entire establishment was wiped 
out by fire a few years later, and all the plates to this 
edition, including the original illustrations from Mrs. Kin- 
zie's drawings, were destroyed. A smaller edition, without 
illustrations, was issued by J. B. Lippincott & Sons (Phila- 
delphia) after Mrs. Kinzie's death. This was soon 
exhausted, and copies of either edition are no longer in the 
market. 

In 1869 Lippincott published Mrs. Kinzie's first novel, 
"Walter Ogleby," the plot of which was laid among the 
scenes of her youth on the North River. It was favorably 
received by the public, and had a satisfactory sale. 

At the time of her death Mrs. Kinzie was engaged in 
correcting the proofs of a novel called "Mark Logan," 
founded on the tragic fate of the handsome and ill-fated 
Winnebago Chief, Red Bird. It was published by Lippin- 
cott & Co. in 1887, eight years after Mrs. Kinzie's death. 

Col. Kinzie was appointed Paymaster in the Army with 
headquarters at Chicago, in 1861, with rank of Major. In 
1864 he was made Lieutenant-Colonel. His two eldest sons, 
John and Arthur, had volunteered at the commencement 
of the Civil War. John entered the Navy. He was on the 
gunboat "Mound City," under Admiral Davis, when an at- 
tack was made on a Confederate fort on the White River, 
Arkansas. 

A hot shot penetrated the boiler of the "Mound City," 
blowing her up and throwing ninety-seven men scalded and 
dying into the water. By order of the Confederate officer 
commanding the fort. General Frye, his sharpshooters 
picked out and shot the wounded men as they were strug- 
gling to reach the hospital boat sent to their rescue. Young 
Kinzie was shot through the legs and arms as he was be- 
ing lifted into it. Hearing the shouts of the marines and 
learning that the fort had surrendered, he exclaimed, "Have 
we taken the fort? Then I am ready to die now." The 
next morning (June 18, 1862,) just as the sun's first rays 
gilded the horizon his brave spirit took flight. He was 
just twenty-three years old, and left a young wife barely 
eighteen. His little daughter was born three months after 



A NOTE. 1 

his death. From this shock Col. and Mrs. Kinzie never 
recovered. Shortly after this bereavement their second 
son, Arthur, who was on General Washburn's staff, wa'-'cap- 
tured by General Forrest, who made a raid into Memphis. 
Unfortunately the youngest son, George, who was paying 
his brother a visit, was also captured along with the most 
of the officers at the headquarters. They were taken to 
Cahawba, Ala,, but after a short imprisonment were ex- 
changed by order of the President of the Confederacy, who 
was an old friend of the Kinzie family. 

Mr. Kinzie's health now began to fail; heart trouble soon 
developed, and he obtained a leave of absence, and started 
for an Eastern health resort, accompanied by his wife, 
daughter and son Arthur, As the train approached Pitts- 
burg a blind fiddler came into the car asking alms. Mr. 
Kinzie put his hand into his pocket to get his purse. Be- 
fore he could draw it out again his head fell forward, and 
he died with a smile on his lips. His last act was an 
epitome of his whole life. 

His death took place on June 21, 1865. In an obituary 
notice which appeared on June 23, the Chicago Tribune 
has the following: 

"The last of his contemporaries, the death of Major 
Kinzie turns the final page in the first volume of the 
annals of this city and surrenders the last survivor of those 
who looked out on prairie and woodland where Chicago was 
to stand. 

"It is rare that the sum of a single human life so hon- 
orably and usefully enshrines so much that pertains to 
human progress. To give the full details of such a life as 
his has been, would be to retrace the development of Chi- 
cago." 

His widow survived him five years. 

In 1870 Mrs. Kinzie joined her daughter and grand- 
children, who were spending the summer at Amagansett, 
on Long Island. On the evening of September 14th she 
sent to the local physician for some two-grain quinine pills. 
He sent morphine pills, instead of quinine, in a paper with- 
out a label. Mrs. Kinzie took one, and by the time the 



j THE EARLY DAY IN THE NORTHWEST. 

fatal mistake was discovered it was too late for the most 
powerful remedies to take effect. In four hours she was 
dead. Her remains were brought to Chicago for inter- 
ment, and she was laid beside her husband and children in 
Graceland Cemetery. A great crowd of the poor followed 
her to her last resting place, testifying their grief at the 
loss of one who had been so generous and sympathizing a 
friend. 

The Rev. Dr. Clinton Locke, of Grace Church, Chicago, 
closed his beautiful tribute to her worth in the following 
words: 

"As a member of St. James' Church, Mrs. Kinzie's name 
stands inscribed first upon its muster roll of women; and 
no soldier of the cross ever bore its arms or upheld its 
flag more triumphantly or more steadfastly than she did. 
In the early days of the Episcopal Church of Illinois, and 
under the teaching of that most pure, devout and holy of 
Christians, Bishop Chase, her house and home was the 
home of the church, and all who professed its creed, 
espoused its sublime liturgy, or partook of its commun- 
ion, found welcome there. In the Sunday schools, mission 
schools, wherever work was to be done for the church, there 
vv^as Mrs. Kinzie, ever active, zealous and faithful in every 
good work. To her energy, liberality and perseverance 
more than to all others, was the first Church of St. James 
indebted for its success and prosperity. No woman in the 
Northwest was more widely known than Juliette Kinzie, 
and when the future history of the early days of this 
magic city shall be written, her life and labors as a mem- 
ber of Christ's church, as a woman of the highest culture 
and most refined taste, as a faithful wife, devoted mother, 
kind and generous neighbor, and true American lady, will 
illuminate its brightest pages. 

"After life's fitful fever she sleeps well." 

June, 1900. Eleanor Kinzie Gordon. 



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